Monotes loandensis Exell

18. Monotes loandensis Exell View in CoL

Monotes loandensis Exell (1932) View in CoL 220. — Type: Gossweiler 9492 (holo BM, seen in JSTOR; iso COI, K, LISC ex LISJC), Angola, Malange, Quirima, 23 Jan. 1931.

Shrub or tree up to 10 m tall. Leaves 6– 8 by 2– 3 cm, narrowly obovate or spatulate; rounded to emarginate at the apex, obtuse at the base, upper surface glabrous, except for the midrib and lateral nerves of young leaves, with some straight hairs; lower surface with the midrib and lateral nerves prominent, with dispersed straight hairs; interreticular areoles with a dense, short whitish indumentum of curled hairs, 11–12 pairs of lateral nerves; petiole 1.2–1.6 cm. Inflorescences axillary, up to 4 cm long, few-flowered. Flowers with sepals c. 3 mm long, tomentellous, petals 8 – 9 mm long, sericeous, anthers with a triangular appendage. Fruits not seen.

Ecology — In subxerophilous vegetation and dry forest.

Distribution — Endemic to central Angola. – BI: Monteiro & Murta 2038 (LISC). – HA: Barbosa 12265 (LISC). – MA: Gossweiler 9492 (COI, LISC).

Conservation status — The species is known from three collections and three different localities. Two of these locations were surveyed several times after the species description, but no further collections are known. With less than 12 km 2 of known area of occupancy and just three locations M. loandensis can be considered as vulnerable by having a very small and restricted population (VU D2).

Vernacular names — ossui ( Monteiro & Murta 2038); ossuím ( Barbosa 12265).