Dracaena marina Bos ex Damen, 2018

15. Dracaena marina Bos ex Damen View in CoL , sp. nov. — Fig. 3; Plate 5, 6; Map 14

Dracaena marina is similar to the East African Dracaena usambarensis Engl. ; it is easily distinguished from that species by the oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate leaves, its bright red to yellow inflorescence axes, and the perianth lobes that are longer than the tube. In D. usambarensis the leaves are narrow elliptic, the inflorescence axes are green to orange and the peri- anth lobes are shorter than the tube. — Type: Breteler 14640 (holo WAG (WAG0047304); iso LBV (LBV0008874), WAG (WAG0047305), WAG-spirit (WAG0029799)), Gabon, Gamba region. c. S2°40' E10°00', 11 Nov. 1998.

Dracaena sp. , Keay et al. (1964) 439, based on Stanfield FHI47067 (not located), Lagos, Apapa.

Etymology. Bos already recognised this species as distinct and had pro- visionally named it D. marina , because it is often found close to the ocean. With this name, Bos also wanted to honour Ms Marina Wassink , the former secretary of the Plant Taxonomy Department at Wageningen University, The Netherlands, who had been a great help to him.

Shrub or large tree of up to 40 m high; trunk up to 60 cm diam, forming stilt roots when growing in inundated areas or mangroves; bark smooth to shallowly longitudinally fissured, grey, slash creamy white, not exuding resin; leaves densely set along the branches, tufted at the apex in older specimens, stem visible between the leaves. Leaves spirally arranged, sessile; lamina variable, oblanceolate and up to 30 by 9 cm, but on fast grow- ing shoots often narrowly oblanceolate and up to 60 by 8 cm, coriaceous, dark dull green above, pale green with prominent midrib below, secondary veins inconspicuous, base gradually tapering, then abruptly expanding and clasping the stem for 1/2 to 3/4 of its circumference, apex acute to acuminate, mucro c. 3 mm long. Inflorescence terminal, erect, a much branched panicle, up to 75 by 55 cm; peduncle smooth, flexible (like rub- ber), bright yellow to bright red; bracts supporting the branches triangular, up to 10 by 7 mm (distally decreasing in size), early caducous, coriaceous; flowers solitary or arranged in fascicles of up to c. 5, each solitary flower or fascicle subtended by a small triangular, membranous, caducous bract with scarious margin, up to 2 mm long. Flower: pedicel bright orange, to 15 mm long, persistent basal part to 13 mm long, surrounded by early caducous scarious floral bracts of c. 1 mm long; peri- anth creamy white, 35–55 mm long, lobes 24–33 mm long; stamens inserted near the throat, up to 3 mm shorter than the lobes, filaments filiform, white, anthers c. 2.5 mm long, pale yellow; ovary ovoid, 3 by 2.5 mm; style filiform, exserted for up to 3 mm, white, stigma c. 0.5 mm diam. Fruits globose to depressed globose, up to 23 by 28 mm, glossy, orange-brown to red, usually with 1 seed, receptacle swollen, up to 6 by 3

Fig. 3 Dracaena marina Bos ex Damen. a. Branch and inflorescence; b. leaf; c. flower; d. dissected flower; e. fruit (a, c–d: Breteler 14640; b: Damen 671; e: Louis, AM 4034). — Drawing by Hans de Vries.

mm wide, mesocarp orange. Seeds depressed globose, 17 by 22 mm, shallowly bilobed, smooth, brown; endosperm slightly transparent white.

Distribution — Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola.

Ecology — Primary and secondary forest, in swamp or man- grove vegetation, on sandy soil; at 0–200 m altitude. Flowering: January, March, June, August to November.

Uses — Fruits are eaten by rodents (fide Wieringa 5044).

Vernacular names — Alenokue (Pahouin de Libreville) (fide Fleury in Chevalier 33649); Mungonga (fide Vermoesen 1189).

Other specimens examined. ANGOLA, Zaire, Lower Congo river, Santo Antonio do Zaire. c. S6°08' E12°23', 14 Nov.1922, Gossweiler, J 8505 ( K) GoogleMaps . – BENIN, Ouémé, Adjarra, Adjarra-Anagodomè , N6°32.2' E2°40.3', 8 Feb.2000, Akoègninou, A 3090 ( BENIN, BR, MO, WAG) GoogleMaps . – CAMEROON, South-West, au delà de la rivière Banan, sur piste de Tabo à Agborkem , c. N5°46' E9°07', 4 June 1975, Letouzey, R 13727 ( K, P, WAG, YA) GoogleMaps . – DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, Bas-Congo, Kinshasa, Lukula, Luki , vallée Lusona , c. S5°38' E13°04', 1 June 1948, Donis , C 1787 ( BR, WAG) GoogleMaps ; Boma ,environs de Malela, c. S5°59' E12°37', 28 Dec. 1918, Vermoesen, FMC 1241 About FMC ( BR, K, P) GoogleMaps ; ibid., 23 Dec. 1918, Vermoesen, FMC 1189 About FMC ( BR) GoogleMaps . – GABON, Estuaire, Moka creek , E of Moudah River, N0°39' E9°28', alt. 5 m, 24 July 1985, Bos, JJ 10800 ( WAG) GoogleMaps ; Alenokue ,environs de Libreville, c. N0°25' E9°26', May 1917, Fleury in Chevalier, AJB 33649 ( LBV, P, WAG) GoogleMaps ; Mondah ecotour forest, N0°34.54' E9°20.09', alt. 53 m, 17 Mar. 2015, Damen, THJ 671 ( BG NL07 -living plant, BR, LBV, WAG) GoogleMaps ; Parc National de la Pongara, forêt c. 3 km au sud de la pointe Kenguéré , N0°10.8' E9°20.4', alt. 25 m, 16 Jan. 2007, Dauby, GV 95 ( BRLU, MO) GoogleMaps ; Ekouk , piste du nouveau campement, S0°10' E10°15', 30 Sept. 1983, Floret, JJ 1576 ( MO, P, WAG) GoogleMaps ; Bord du Layon N 20 à 900 m de la route Cap Esterias , forêt de la Mondah, N0°34' E9°22', 3 Dec. 1970, Gavage, A 7 ( BR, K, WAG) GoogleMaps ; Mt Bouet , N0°26' E9°28', 9 Aug. 1898, Klaine, T-J 162a ( P, WAG) GoogleMaps ; environs de Libreville, c. N0°25', E9°27', 1896, Klaine, T-J 400bis ( BR, FHO, IFAN, P) GoogleMaps ; ibid., 20 Aug. 1902, Klaine, T-J 455a ( P) GoogleMaps ;

Plate 5 Dracaena marina Bos ex Damen , coloured old infructescence; Damen 671. — Photo: THJ Damen.

Map 14 Distribution of Dracaena marina Bos ex Damen.

Malibé-mangrove, N0°36' E9°26', 2 Oct. 1985, Louis, AM 1829 (LBV,WAG); bord Remboué, S0°04' E9°45', alt. 5 m, 19 Dec. 1990, Louis, AM 3282 (LBV, MO,WAG); au platform de forage,Remboué, S10°13', E10°02', 21 Jan.1991, Louis, AM 3289 (LBV, MO, WAG); secondary forest, c. 15 km north of Libre- ville, N0°34' E9°21', 18 Mar. 1987, Reitsma, JM 3184 (LBV, MO, NY, WAG); Okala, north of Libreville, terrain de Montigny à Okala (Libreville), N0°29' E9°25',alt. 10 m, 12 Feb.2014, Stévart, TOBEB 4792 (BRLU, L, LBV, MO, P, WAG); road from Libreville to Cape Esterias, c. N0°31' E9°22', alt. 20 m, 21 Jan. 1993, Wilde, JJFE de 10885 (MO, WAG); Moyen-Ogooué, Missanga, 10–20 km N of Ndjolé, c. S0°05' E10°45', 13 Nov. 1991, Breteler, FJ 10449 (LBV, MO, WAG); SW de Lambaréné, Lac Ezanga, c. S1°00' E10°15', 29 May 1963, Hallé, N 2091 (P); Nyanga, forestry concession of Baker, 13 km NNE of Igotchi, S2°48.07' E10°31.45', alt. 200 m, 31 Oct. 2003, Wieringa, JJ 5044 (LBV, WAG); Ogooué-Maritime, Port Gentil, c. S0°43' E8°47', 11 Sept. 1968, Breteler, FJ s.n. (WAG-photo); Port Gentil, savane sur sable vers Tchengue, S0°50' E8°47', 23 June 1993, Louis, AM 4034 (LBV, WAG). – NIGERIA, Lagos, Flora Austro-Nigritina, S Nigeria, Lagos (Ikoyi), c. N6°27' E3°26', 26 Apr. 1950, Bels, L 89 (U); Lagos, c. N6°27' E3°23', Apr. 1883, Moloney, CA 2 (K). – REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, Kouilou, Kouilou, Tchissanga (10 km de Bas-Kouilou), c. S4°32' E11°47', 3 Jan. 1991, Dowsett-Lemaire, F 1500 (BR, WAG); Sounda, c. S4°05' E12°08', 7 Feb. 1987, Foresta , H de 1255 (P).

Notes — Although we have not been able to trace Stanfield FHI47067, Keay’s description of an unidentified arborescent Dracaena based on this specimen leaves little doubt that it is conspecific with D. marina . It also matches the location of other specimens of D. marina .

Dracaena marina View in CoL can be confused with D. mannii View in CoL since it keys out as such in Bos (1984, 1992), Mwachala & Mbugua (2007) and La Croix (2010). It is easily distinguished from D. mannii View in CoL by its flowers being less than half as long as those of D. mannii View in CoL .

Plate 6 Dracaena marina Bos ex Damen View in CoL , old specimen in inundated forest; Breteler & Raalte s.n. — Photo: FJ Breteler.