Campylospermum auriculatum Biss., 2013

Campylospermum auriculatum Biss. View in CoL , sp. nov. — Fig. 1 View Fig ; Map 1 View Map 1

Diagnosis — This species resembles C. schoenleinianum (Klotzsch) Farron because of its auriculate to deeply cordate leaf base, but differs by the leaf blade being broader in the basal part, and by having caducous stipules, a serrate leaf margin, a flattened peduncle and shorter and more compact racemes of 3–11 cm long.

Type. Strijk 73 (holo WAG;iso LBV), Gabon, Woleu-Ntem, Bordamur concession area, some 40 km from WWF-station, N1°14', E11°53', 10 Oct.2002 GoogleMaps .

Understorey treelet up to 6 m tall. Stipules caducous, 3 – 5 mm long. Leaves: petiole 0–2 mm long; leaf blade elliptic-obovate to oblanceolate, (9–)14–24(–31) by (4–)6–8(–11) cm, base auriculate to deeply cordate, often clasping the twig, apex acute, coriaceous to thick leathery, margin serrate, upper surface glossy green, lower surface dull paler green; midrib flattened above, prominent below, main lateral veins 10– 20 mm apart, 16–19 on either side, curved upward to run parallel to the mar- gin, intermediate lateral veins prominent on both sides, 0 – 2 in between each pair of main laterals, tertiary venation scalariform, very distinct on both sides. Inflorescences terminal or rarely axillary, its main axis 12–15(–18) cm long, flattened; racemes 1–6, 3–9(–11) cm long; pairwise scales absent; bracts persistent at the base of the raceme and pedicel, triangular, c. 3–5 mm long; cymules 5–9 mm apart, 2–4(–6)-flowered. Flowers: pedicel 5–7 mm, articulated at 2–3 mm from the base; sepals 5, ovate, in flower 7–8 by 2– 3 mm, yellowish green, in fruit persistent and accrescent, 9–10 by 3–4 mm, bright red; petals 5, obovate, 7–12 by 3–4 mm, cuneate at base, rounded at apex, bright yellow; stamens 10, caducous, orange-yellow, filaments less than 1 mm long, anthers 3–4 mm long, transversely wrinkled, poricidal; ovary c. 2 mm wide; style c. 4 mm long, curved, yel- low. Fruits: receptacle a ± flattened-globose shape, c. 5 mm wide, orange-red; drupelets 1–3 well developed per receptacle, reniform, c. 8 by 5 mm, black at maturity; cotyledons incumbent, dissimilar in size with a small outer cotyledon.

Distribution — Equatorial Guinea ( Rio Muni) and Gabon (Woleu-Ntem province).

Ecology — In primary or secondary forest; on brown clay soil; at 475–600 m altitude.

Phenology — Flowers and mature fruits collected from October to November, flowers also observed in April, which coincides with the two rainy seasons.

Preliminary IUCN conservation status — VU B1/B2ab(ii, iii, iv). EOO = 6098 km 2, AOO = 1653 km 2, locations = 7 (cell width = 15.37 km).All collections have been made recently (the oldest one is from 1983). The only collection from Equatorial Guinea is from within a protected area (Inselberg at Akuom). The other ten collections from Gabon are from a fairly restricted area where logging companies operate which may lead to a decline in the AOO and/or extent of suitable habitat and hence we propose the ‘Vulnerable’ category.

Additional material. EQUATORIAL GUINEA, Rio Muni, Wele Nzas: Parmentier 358 ( BRLU), Inselberg d’Akuom, à 1h30 de marche (6 km) du village de Nzuameyong, à 25 km d’Anisoc, N1°50' E10°55', 600 m, 13 June 1999 (st) GoogleMaps . – GABON, Woleu-Ntem: Bissiengou 667 ( LBV, WAG), c. 8 km SSW of Mitzic, FOREENEX forest exploitation, N0°42.9' E11°32.0', 547 m, 6 Nov. 2009 (fr); Bissiengou 707 ( LBV, WAG), 8.5 km SSW of Mitzic, FOREENEX forest exploitation, N0°42.5' E11°31.9', 501 m, 6 Nov. 2009 (fl); Bissiengou 714 ( LBV, WAG), 13 km SE of Mitzic, FOREENEX forest exploitation, road from forestry camp to Madouaka village , N0°42.4' E11°38.2', 480 m, 7 Nov. 2009 (fl); Bissiengou 730 ( LBV, WAG), 13 km SE of Mitzic, FOREENEX forest exploitation, road from forestry camp to Madouaka village , N0°42.1' E11°38.8', 490 m, 7 Nov. 2009 (fr); Bissiengou 769 ( LBV, WAG), 35 km NNE of Mitzic, forestry road in Bordamur forest exploitation, 2 km from forestry camp, N1°02.8' E11°43.3', 545 m, 8 Nov.2009 (st); Breteler 8797 ( LBV, WAG), 30–40 km NE of Saint Germain, E of Okano River,c. N0°40' E11°40', 475 m, 18 Apr. 1988 (fl, fr); A.M. Louis 377 (K, LBV, WAG), Oveng , 65 km N of road Benguié-Lalara ,forest exploitation camp, N0°42' E11°23', 500 m, 5 Nov.1983 (fl, fr); Maas 10052 ( LBV, WAG), RN 2 About WAG , S of Mitzic,FOREENEX- concession, N0°42.8' E11°38.9', 503 m, 30 Oct.2011 (fl); Reitsma 2493 ( WAG),Inventory Oveng, c. 25 km WSW of Mitzic, N0°44' E11°22', 6 Nov. 1986 (fl, fr) GoogleMaps .

Note — Especially the auriculate to deeply cordate leaf base is highly reminiscent of C. schoenleinianum , a species confined to western tropical Africa (from Guinea to Ghana).