Occultia fragrans Rulkens & Stedje, 2022

Stedje, Brita, Rulkens, Antonius J. H. & Hankey, Andrew J., 2022, Occultia (Scilloideae, Asparagaceae), a new genus from Malawi and Mozambique, Phytotaxa 575 (2), pp. 166-172 : 171

2. Occultia fragrans Rulkens & Stedje sp. nov. Figs. 2 , 3D–F

Similar to O. ledebourioides in general appearance of the flowers, but it differs in flowers being white and green, and fragrant. The leaves are usually solitary, ovate, spotted dark green and lying flat at the ground.

Type: — MOZAMBIQUE. Cabo Delgado Province: Ancuabe district, Mopane woodland at base of Mount Yokolo , 13.2098° S 40.1094° E, 223 m of elevation, collected in nature on 14 December 2015 , Rulkens 110, the herbarium specimen prepared from the living cultivated plant on 7 January 2016 ( LMA!, holotype) .

Bulbous herb up to 14 cm high; bulb ovoid to subglobose with thick white scales, up to 3 cm high. Leaves 1 (rarely 2 or 3) with a distinct, usually subterranean, pseudopetiole to 2.5 cm long; lamina ovate, to 8 cm long and 6 cm wide, flat on the ground, glabrous, pale green with darker green irregularly shaped spots adaxially, often dark purple abaxially. Inflorescence relatively lax with up to about 40 flowers; pedicels patent to suberect, about 2 mm long in flower. Perianth cylindrical, white, green towards the base at the outer side, about 4 mm long; united into a tube for 1/3 to half its length, free parts spreading. Stamens adnate to tepals and arising in two levels from the top of perianth tube, filaments very short. Ovary sessile, subglobose c. 1 mm long; style c. 1 mm long; stigma capitate. Flowers fragrant at late afternoon and night. Capsule and seeds not seen.

Ecology:— Underground of small patches of mophane woodland, or on gneiss inselbergs, soil mainly dark and humus-rich; between 200–900 m of elevation.

Conservation note:— Data Deficient, probably overlooked.

Distribution:— Northwestern and central Mozambique.

Examined specimens: — MOZAMBIQUE. Niassa Province: Mandimba; 06 November 1941, Hornby 3476 ( K!) . Zambezia Province: Mocuba District, Mopane woodland on Mount Pozo , 16.4848° S 37.2925° E, 470 m of elevation, collected 5 May 2015, flowered 25 October 2018 in garden at Xai-Xai, Mozambique, Rulkens 50 ( LMA!) . Niassa Province: Near Lake Nyassa, 1902, Johnson 525 ( K!) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Occultia fragrans, entire plant (specimen Rulkens 50). Scale bar 20 mm.

FIGURE 3. A–B: Occultia ledebourioides (specimen Rulkens 17A). A: Entire plant in flower: B: Close up of flowers where one whorl of stamens can be seen in the mouth of the perianth tube, the other partly hidden in the perianth tube. C: O. ledebourioides, (specimen Rulkens 106), entire plant in fruit. D–F: O. fragrans, (specimen Rulkens 50). D: Entire plant in flower; e: Close up of flower; F: Leaf. All photos:A.J.H. Rulkens. Scale bars 20 mm (A, C and F) and 2 mm (B and E).