Trichoscypha rubicunda Lecomte

Breteler, F. J., 2004, The genus Trichoscypha (Anacardiaceae) in Lower Guinea and Congolia: A synoptic revision, Adansonia (3) 26 (1), pp. 97-127 : 124-126

18. Trichoscypha rubicunda Lecomte

Bull. Soc. Bot. France 52: 656 (1906). — Type:

Klaine 251, Gabon, near Libreville, Ƌ, ♀ fl. July

(holo-, P; iso-, WAG!). See Notes.

Trichoscypha africana Lecomte, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 5: 652 (1906). — Type: Klaine 1086 (as 1080), Gabon, near Libreville, Ƌ fl. Sep. (holo-, P!; iso-, WAG!).

Trichoscypha fusca Lecomte, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 5: 652 (1906). — Type: Klaine 1444, Gabon, near Libreville, fr. Nov. (lecto-, designated here P!; isolecto-, WAG!).

Trichoscypha klainei Lecomte, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 52: 651 (1906). — Type: Klaine 3009, Gabon, near Libreville, Ƌ fl. July (holo-, P!; iso-, WAG!).

Trichoscypha escherichii Engl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 315 (1917). — Syntypes: Escherich 336, 339, Munigebiet , Neu-Kamerun (now Gabon), Bissubinam, fl. July 1913 (syn-, B, delet.) . Neotype (designated here): Eneme 471, Equatorial Guinea, Jandye, Ƌ fl. July 1999 ( WAG!; iso-, BRLU!) .

Trichoscypha braunii Engl. var. regularis H. Lecomte , nomen, coll. Thollon 1114 (P!).

Shrub to medium sized tree, 1.5-26 m tall and trunk up to 25 cm dbh. Leaves (4-)5-12-jugate; leaflets ovate-lanceolate to oblong, up to c. 5 times as long as wide, (11-)17-25(-35) × (3-)5- 7(-11) cm, with a 1-2 cm long acumen; midrib impressed above; lateral nerves 12-20 pairs. Inflorescence (sub)terminal to axillary, rarely borne below the leaves, the male ones up to at least 70 cm long, the female ones up to 110 cm long, pubescent to puberulous, often also with a more or less patchy, whitish arachnoid or mold-

mm 2

like indumentum. Flowers (Jan.-Apr., June-Sep.) 4-5-merous, pink to red. Fruits (Feb., Sep.-Nov.) red, ovoid-ellipsoid, 1.5-2 × 1-1.5 cm, appressedshort-hairy, usually also with a whitish, arachnoid to mold-like indumentum. — Figs 2G ; 10 ; 14.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION. — Rain forest of Cameroun, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Congo (Brazzaville). Alt. up to 1200 m.

SELECTED SPECIMENS. — CAMEROUN: Bos 6797, 17 km N of Kribi, fl. Apr. (WAG!); Cable et al. 1573, Etinde, fl. Mar. (K!); Elad 135, Kupé Mt., Nyasso, fl. Mar. (K!); Elad & Tchouto 1360, Campo-Ma’an area, Mvini, fr. Feb. (WAG!); Van Andel et al. 4172, Elephant Mt., fr. Oct. (WAG!). — CONGO (Brazzaville): Aké- Assi 17049, Itsibou valley, fl. July (G!); de Foresta 1038, between Mvouti and Bamba Mt., fl. July (P!). — EQUA- TORIAL GUINEA: Eneme 471, Yandye, fl. July (BRLU!, WAG!). — GABON: N. Hallé 3159, Bélinga, fr. Nov. (P!); Klaine 251, near Libreville, fl. July (P!, WAG!); Klaine 1086, near Libreville, fl. Sep. (P!, WAG!); Le Testu 1584, Midounga, fl. Aug. (BM!, BR!, P!, WAG!); Le Testu 5468, Mouila, fl. July (BM!, BR!, P!, WAG!); Le Testu 8848, Pougou Matsima, fl. June (BM!, P!); Reitsma et al. 862, Oveng, juv. fr. May (BR!, MO!, WAG!); Walker s.n., St. Martin, fl. July (P!, WAG!).

NOTES. — Klaine 251, the type of Trichoscypha rubicunda contains, male as well as female flowers. It is not clear whether flowers of both sexes were collected from the same individual, probably not, as they are found on different branches.

A few specimens assigned to this species have inflorescences borne on the leafy shoot as well as on the trunk, e.g., de Foresta 1038 and Le Testu 1584, a phenomenon that also occurs occasionally in the other non cauliflorous species.

The variation in habit seen in T. rubicunda is remarkable. Flowers and/or fruits have been collected from small shrubs as well as from medium sized trees of 25 m tall. In most species of Trichoscypha with variation in habit this differs somewhat, involving the presence of a lianescent habit along with shrubs or trees (see also under T. reygaertii ).

UNIDENTIFIED MATERIAL, POSSIBLY REPRESENTING NEW TAXA

1. Le Testu 8261, Gabon, Ipoungou, Ƌ fl. Aug. (BM!, BR!, P!, WAG!).

NOTES. — Because of its completely glabrous flowers and strongly imbricate petals, this material was separated from T. bijuga under the provisional name T. psilantha . More material is needed to determine whether it represents indeed a new species.

2. Van Andel & Mva 4261, Cameroun, on forest road between Ebodje and Campo, fr. Nov. (WAG!).

NOTES. — This specimen was collected from a cauliflorous shrub. The texture of its leaflets with impressed lateral nerves above, the very small brown dots on the lower surface, and the valvate petals with papillate margins (as observed on flower remnants), suggest that it is related to T. hallei and T. laxiflora . The young leaflets, however, bear a white, arachnoid to mold-like indumentum, which is not seen in these species. Good flowering material is thus needed to assess the status of this material.

3. Etuge et al. 4504, Cameroun, Edip, leaves only (WAG!); Tchouto et al. EBIAX 17, Cameroun, Bibabimvoto, leaves only (WAG!); Senterre et Ngomo 3442, Equatorial Guinea, Chocolate Mt., leaflets only (WAG!).

NOTES. — These three specimens clearly represent the same species, most probably belonging to Trichoscypha . They are, however, distinct from all other material from Lower Guinea and Congolia by the white lower surface of their leaflets, which is caused by the very fine papillate indumentum.

Figures

FIG. 2. — Flowers of Trichoscypha species, one petal removed: A, T. mannii Hook.f.; B, T oddonii De Wild.; C, T. oliveri Engl.; D, T. patens (Oliv.) Engl.; E, T. pauciflora Van der Veken; F, T. reygaertii De Wild.; G, T. rubicunda Lecomte. A1, Versteegh & Den Outer 739; A2, Talbot 1278; B1, J.J. de Wilde 11197; B2, J.J. de Wilde 11196; C1, Tchouto et al. LIKOX 56; C2, Van Andel et al. 3890; D1, Leeuwenberg 5213; D2, Van Andel et al. 4262; E1, Michelson 895; E2, A. Léonard 5154; F1, Breteler et al. 14501; F2, Reygaert 94; G1, Klaine 1080; G2, Klaine 251. Drawing by H. DE VRIES.

FIG. 10. — Distribution of Trichoscypha species 11, 13, 15, 18.

FIG. 14. — Trichoscypha rubicunda Lecomte; A, leaf; B, leaflet, lower surface; C, male flower; D, young infructescence; E, young fruits; F, young fruit enlarged to show remnants of female flower; G, young fruit in longitudinal section; H, I, details of fruit indumentum. A, B, D-I, Reitsma et al. 862; C, Le Testu 8848. Drawing by H. DE VRIES.