Monodora hastipetala is a species of plant in the family Annonaceae. It is native to Tanzania.[1] Thomas Couvreur, the botanist who first formally described the species, named it after its spear (Latin: hasti- in Latin) shaped inner petals.[2] [3]
It is a tree reaching 8 meters in height. Its branches have lenticels. Its papery leaves are 10-12 by 3-4 centimeters and come to a point at their tips. The leaves are smooth on their upper and lower surfaces. Its petioles are 2 millimeters long. Its pendulous flowers are solitary and axillary. Each flower is on a pedicel 17-10 millimeters long. Its flowers have 3 smooth sepals that are 6-7 by 3-4 millimeters with rounded tips. Its 6 petals are arranged in two rows of 3. The white, narrow outer petals are 20-26 by 6-8 millimeters. The outer petals are smooth and wavy. The inner petals are white with purple highlights, have a 4-5 millimeter long claw at their base and a 10-17 by 4-7 millimeter wide blade. The inner petals are densely hairy on the inner surface of their base and less hairy on the outer surface. It has 40-50 stamens that are 0.6 millimeters long. Its bumpy oval-shaped fruit are 30 millimeters long and 20 millimeters in diameter. Its light brown seeds are 10 by 7 millimeters.
The pollen of M. hastipetala is shed as permanent tetrads.[4]
It has been observed growing in scrub and coastal forests at elevations from 200 to 400 meters.[5]