Monodora crispata

Monodora crispata Engl.

Monodora crispata is a species in the Annonaceae family, native to several West African countries. It was first described by Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler in 1899 and is characterized by its curled petal margins, which inspired its name. The plant can grow as a tree or a woody climber, reaching up to 20 meters in height.

Description

Monodora crispata is a tree or woody climber, sometimes reaching 20 m tall, with glabrous young and old branches. Leaves are elliptic to obovate, with a coriaceous to membranous texture, and a glabrous surface on both sides. The flowers have 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, with outer petals longer than inner ones. The sepals are ovate, green, and glabrous, while the petals are oblong with attenuate apices. The species is found in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.