Vadensea tenuifolia (Oliv.) Jongkind & O.Lachenaud, 2019

Jongkind, Carel C. H. & Lachenaud, Olivier, 2019, Vadensea (Icacinaceae), a new genus to accommodate continental African species of Desmostachys, Phytotaxa 405 (5), pp. 237-247 : 242

2. Vadensea tenuifolia (Oliv.) Jongkind & O.Lachenaud , comb. nov. ( Figs. 1 & 3)

Basionym:— Desmostachys tenuifolius Oliver (1868: 353) .

Type:— EQUATORIAL GUINEA. Fernando Po [=Bioko], June 1857 (fl), Barter s.n. (holotype K!).

Heterotypic synonyms:— Desmostachys preussii Engler (1893: 70) ; Type :— CAMEROON. auf der Barombihöhe und nord-östlich von der Barombistation, June 1890 (fl), Preuss 306 & 351 (B destroyed). Neotype designated here:— CAMEROON. around Kumba, 150 m alt., 16 May 1984 (fl), DW Thomas 3480 (neotype BR0000015571595 !; isoneotypes K000093650!, MO-2972337 , P04495016!, WAG.1463021!).

Desmostachys tenuifolius var. angustifolius Pellegr. ex Villiers (1973a: 46) , syn. nov.; Type :— GABON. Lastoursville, 12 March 1929 (fl), Le Testu 7030 (holotype P!, isotypes BM!, BR!) .

Distribution and ecology:— South-eastern Nigeria, Cameroon (from the coast to around Yaoundé), Equatorial Guinea ( Rio Muni and Bioko) and Gabon (widespread over most of the country); to be expected also in Congo-Brazzaville; undergrowth of lowland and submontane forest, 5–890 m in elevation.

Notes:— This is the most often collected species of the genus. Specimens with smaller inflorescences and leaves were separated as a variety by Villiers (1973a, 1973b), but the variation seems to be more or less continuous, hence no infraspecific taxa are recognised here.

To replace the original syntype specimens of Desmostachys preussii , which were destroyed during the Second World War, a neotype with flowers is selected here from almost the same location.

Leaves of this species, heated and applied on wounds, are used to heal wounds in Cameroon (Fleury in Chevalier 33405).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Vadensea oblongifolia.A. Detail of long inflorescence. B. Flower from long inflorescence. C. Flower opened. D. Flower bud from short inflorescence. E. Flower from short inflorescence. F. Flower opened. G. Fruit (from spirit). H. Fruit cross section. I. Endocarp; Vadensea tenuifolia. J. Inflorescence detail, flower opened. K. Petal from inside. L. Fruit (from spirit). M. Endocarp. Desmostachys planchonianus. N. Fruit. O. Endocarp. A–C: drawn from: JJ de Wilde 8348 (WAG); D–F: JJ de Wilde 9297 (WAG); G & H: Bos 6689 (WAG); I: Strijk 110 (WAG); J & K: Breteler 13226 (WAG-alc); L & M: Bos 4277 (WAG); N & O: B. Lewis 735 (BR). Drawn by Hans de Vries, June 2018.