Geophila erythrocarpa Vanthournout & Dessein, 2011

Geophila erythrocarpa Vanthournout & Dessein View in CoL , sp. nov. — Fig. 1 View Fig

Affinis Geophilae obvallatae (Schumach. & Thonn.) Didr. sed ab illa differt propter fructus rubros (versus caeruleos),corollarum tubos intra solummodo ad antherarum altitudinem pilosos (id est glabros super antheris) atque calyces truncatos (versus calycum lobos bene effectos in G. obvallata ). — Typus: Schmitz 2303 (holo BR), D.R. Congo, Elisabethville [= Lubumbashi], 19 April 1949 .

Geophila sp. A , Verdcourt (1989).

Etymology. The epithet ‘erythrocarpa’ refers to the red colour of the fruits, which is the most important character to distinguish the species from G. obvallata .

Creeping herb with underground stems rooting at the nodes; stems densely pubescent; leafy and flowering shoots reaching a height of 4 – 5 cm. Leaves opposite; petiole 1.5 –7 cm long, pubescent all around; blades broadly ovate to circular, 1.5 – 6.7 by 1.5 –7.5 cm, sparsely pubescent above and underneath, rounded at the apex, cordate at the base; venation not very prominent with 3 – 5 secondary veins at each side of mid-vein and a fine reticulate network of tertiary and quarterly veins. Stipules papery, entire but often splitting with age, transversely

cm 1 elliptic to triangular, 2– 3 by 3– 5 mm, glabrous. Flowers 5-merous, presumably isostylous, 2– 3 per inflorescence; peduncle 0.5 – 5 cm, densely hairy; involucre consisting of two unequal pair of bracts, the outer bracts broader and slightly to strongly bilobed, the inner ones narrowly elliptic and entire; involucral bracts free to variously connate to each other at the base, 7–9 mm long, hairy outside and inside, beset with colleters at the base inside; bracteoles, if present, somewhat spathulate. Calyx tube 1– 2 mm, glabrous or with a few hairs near the margin, truncate. Corolla white; tube cylindrical, c. 5 mm long, sparsely hairy outside, with a band of hairs at and just above the insertion point of the anthers inside; throat appearing glabrous viewed from outside; lobes elliptic, c. 2 mm long, sparsely hairy outside, glabrous inside. Anthers narrowly elliptic, c. 1.4 mm long, attached somewhat below the middle of the corolla tube; filaments very short. Ovary 1–1.5 mm; style c. 1.3 mm long, included in the corolla tube, positioned below the anthers; stigma shortly bilobed. Drupes red, globose, 7–9 mm, sparsely pubescent; pyrenes light brown, elliptic, 3.5 – 5 by 3– 4 mm, bony; dorsal surface with 3 – 4 dorsal ribs, verrucate to rugose in between the ribs; ventral surface with 2 ventral grooves.

Distribution — Occurring in the Zambezian Regional Centre of Endemism and there restricted to the Katanga Province of D.R.Congo and the adjacent Copperbelt Province of Zambia.

Habitat & Ecology — Forest floor of dry dense forest (‘muhulu’) and gallery forest; 1150–1370 m.

Vernacular name — Kontumba Tumba (dial. Kisanga; Nassogne 89).

Additional specimens examined. D.R. CONGO, Katanga province , Kantu, Kassner 3545 ( HBG) ; Lubembe River , 2 Feb. 1908, Kassner 2427 ( K) ; Kambove, Jadotville [= Likasi], 1130 m, 6 Apr.1958, Nassogne 89 ( BR) ; Musoshi- Kimpe , env. mi-chemin, 1350 m, 21 May 1985, Malaisse & Goetghebeur 1032 ( BR, MO) ; Lubumbashi, Salésiens 930 ( BR) ; 20 km SE de Mwadingusha , 5 May 1959, Schmitz 6461 ( BR) .– ZAMBIA, Copperbelt province, Ndola , 3 June 1962, Fanshawe 6855 ( K, NDO) ; Chichele forest reserve near Ndola , 1370 m, 30 Mar. 1972, Kornas 1480 ( K) ; Njiri Forest, Mufulira , 12 Mar. 1964, Mutimushi 689 ( K) .

Conservation status — Based on the limited area of occupancy the Endangered threshold is met (AOO = 79.88 km 2), whereas the Vulnerable threshold is met based on the extent of occurrence (EOO = 18,005 km 2). The ecology of the species is dry evergreen forest, often named ‘muhulu’ in D.R. Congo ( Bamps 1975). Muhulu is sometimes described as the climax vegetation of Katanga and other areas of the Zambezian Regional Centre of Endemism with a similar climate ( Schmitz 1950, 1962). Muhulu forest is now found in relatively small patches and is easily degraded by human activities such as wood exploitation and fire management. In this context it is noteworthy that the Njiri forest reserve in Zambia, where G. erythrocarpa was apparently very common, has been degazetted and that the land has been allocated to squatters. Based on the small number of locations, the patchy occurrence of dry evergreen forest in the area, and the continuous decline of the extent and quality of habitat, G. erythrocarpa qualifies for Endangered under criterion B (EN B2ab(iii)).