Monodora laurentii is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo. ÃÂmile De Wildeman, the Belgian botanist who first formally described the species, named it after Marcel Laurent, the Belgian botanist who collected many plant specimens in the regions along the Congo River.
It is a tree reaching 4 meters in height. Its young and mature branches are hairless. Its hairless, papery to leathery, oval leaves are 12âÂÂ14 by 3.5âÂÂ4.5 centimeters. The tips of the leaves taper to a blunt tip, and the tapered portion is 15âÂÂ20 millimeters long. The leaf bases are blunt to pointed. The leaves have 6âÂÂ10 pairs of secondary veins emanating from their midribs. Its hairless petioles are 5âÂÂ7 by 1âÂÂ1.5 millimeters and have a groove on their upper surface. It has solitary flowers, positioned opposite from leaves, that hang down. Each flower is born on a hairless pedicel that 15âÂÂ20 by 0.8 millimeters. The pedicels have a hairless, elliptical bract that is 9âÂÂ10 by 4 millimeters. The base of the bract partially wraps the pedicel and its tip is pointed. It has 3 oblong, hairless, green sepals are 8âÂÂ10 by 3 millimeters. The sepals have flat bases, pointed tips and straight edges. Its flowers have 6 petals in two rows of three. The outer petals are white to light pink with yellow and green streaks. The, hairless, oval outer petals are 35âÂÂ50 by 9âÂÂ12 millimeters. The outer petals have heart-shaped bases, pointed tips and straight margins. The diamond-shaped inner petals are 8âÂÂ9 by 10âÂÂ12 millimeters. The inner petals have wedge-shaped bases and pointed tips. The edges of the inner petals are straight and touch one another. The upper surface of the inner leaves have ribbon-like hairs while the lower surface is hairless. The inner petals have a hairless, basal claw below the blade that is 2 by 3 millimeters. Its flowers have 6âÂÂ7 rows of stamen that are 0.7 millimeters long. The stamen filaments extend above the anthers to form a shield. Its carpels are fused forming an ovary wall that is 2 by 1.5 millimeters. Its hairless stigma are 1.5 millimeters in diameter. The fruit are born on a hairless, pedicels that are 15âÂÂ20 by 5 millimeters. The purple, hairless, cone-shaped fruit are 4.5âÂÂ6.5 by 2âÂÂ2.5 centimeters with a pointed tip that is 5 millimeters long. The fruit are smooth with 5âÂÂ6 ribs. The fruit have elliptical, smooth, dark brown seeds that are 12âÂÂ15 by 10âÂÂ11 millimeters.
The pollen of M. laurentii is shed as permanent tetrads.
It has been observed growing in lowland rain forests at elevations from 400 to 500 meters.