Cynoglossum cherangauiense, Verdcourt, B., 1991

Verdcourt, B., 1991, Boraginaceae (Cynoglossum cherangauiense), Flora of Tropical East Africa 1991, pp. 115-116 : 115-116

8. C. cherangauiense Verde., sp. nov.,

affinis C. coeruleo A.DC. var. mannii (Bak. & Wright) Verde.,

sed habitu elatiore, foliis longioribus, inflorescentiis ramosioribus, glochidibus nuculae brevibus criangularibus, stylo 1.8- 2 mm. vel ultra longo differt.

Typus: Kenya, Elgeyo District, Cherangani Hills, Kamalagon [ Kameligon ], Mabberley af McCall 207 ( K, holo.!)

Perennial (or possibly sometimes annual) herb to 1.8 m. tall from a thick tap-root; stems strict and sparsely branched, often streaked -with purple above. Leaves narrow and elongate; radical leaves oblanceolate, up to ± 30 cm. long, 3.5 cm. wide, narrowly acute at the apex, strongly attenuated at the base so as to appear long-petiolate; cauline leaves lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 4-20 cm. long, 0.7- 2 cm. wide, the uppermost sessile, the lower gradually more attenuate until similar to radicals; both surfaces sparsely to fairly densely covered with white hairs arising from cystolith spots. Flowers in longpedunculate well-branched compound dichasia of scorpioid cymes which in the early stages are ± capitate and distinctive; cymes ultimately ± 12 cm. long; peduncles up to 16 cm. long; pedicels 1.5- 3 mm. long; all axes densely white pubescent. Calyx-lobes oblongelliptic, 2-3 mm. long, ± 1 mm. wide, distinctly ciliolate, pubescent outside with hairs from tubercular cystolith bases, very distinct near base. Corolla deep blue, white at throat, rarely all white; tube 2.5-3.5 mm. long; lobes ± round, 2-4 mm. long and wide; style (1.3-)l. 8 mm. long to over 2 mm. long in fruit, slender. Nutlets greyish, ovate in plan, 2-2.2 mm. long, 1.8- 2 mm. wide, with short triangular giochidia on the back and around the margin and 2 or 3 across the median ridge, iso a few shorter ones between. Fig. 33/1-4, p. 116.

Kenya. Elgeyo District Cherangani Hills, Kaisungur [ Kaisungor ], Feb. 1965, Tweedie 2984 ! and 1°5'N, 35°26'E, 21 Sept 1949, Maas Geesteranus 6319 ! & without precise locality, Sept 1934, Dale in F.D. 3270 !

Distr. K 2 (see note), 3, 6 (see note); not known elsewhere

HaB. Erica arborea, Cliffortia , Protea scrub; grassland with scattered bamboo, Juniperus and Hagenia clumps; 2850-3270 m.

Note. Agnew et al. 10508 (W. Suk District Sekerr Mt, 4 Aug. 1968 at 2640 m.), Greenway & ôfKanuri 14529 (Masai District Nasampolai [Enesambulai] valley , 25 July 1970 at 2400 m.) and Glover el al. 1469 (Masai District about 11.2 km. from Cobb's Gate, Tobou, near edge of Mau Forest Reserve at 2850 m.) seem to be the same species but further study is needed