Crinum natans Baker., Fl. Trop. Afr. 7 (3): 396 (1898)

Kuetegue, Felix, Sonke, Bonaventure & Ameka, Gabriel K., 2019, A checklist of rheophytes of Cameroon, PhytoKeys 121, pp. 81-131 : 81

Crinum natans Baker., Fl. Trop. Afr. 7 (3): 396 (1898)

Crinum natans Baker subsp. inundatum Kwembeya & Nordal; Phylogeny Speciation Biogeogr. Crinum Chlorophytum 3:16 (2008)

Type.

Equatorial Guinea, Fernando Po (Bioko), G. Mann 1416 (lectotype: K; isotype: P).

Description.

Herb with small bulb, very strong root system; leaves crinkled, submerged and floating, 140 × 2.2 cm; flowers large, borne above the water.

Specimens examined.

15 km north of Edea, near the bridge, 22 Jan 1969, J. J. Bos 1969 (YA); Balondo, 25 km southwest of Nkongsamba, 4°43'N, 9°51'E, 00 Mar 1976, R. Letouzey 14441 (YA); Soo village, near bridge on Soo River, 3°20'N, 11°30'E, 06 Apr 1977, Inger Nordal 906 (YA); Diongo (Kumba - Nguti road) on bank of Mengue River, 4°45'N, 9°29'E, 21 Mar 2011, F. Kuetegue 507 (YA).

Habitat.

Bed of swift-flowing perennial streams and rivers, submerged permanently, strong fibrous root system, in sand, silt or gravel riverbeds; in evergreen rainforest.

Distribution.

Cameroon (Fig. 6 ), Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

Conservation status in Cameroon.

Crinum natans was not listed on http://www.iucnredlist.org nor assessed by Onana and Cheek (2011). The taxon is currently known from 10 localities. The extent of occurrence of C. natans is about 92,850 km2 and the area of occupancy is about 40 km2. Human activities at the localities include timber exploitation; and planned mining operations, hydroelectric dams and plantation development. Based on these threats, and the continuous decline of the vegetation cover in the area, extent and/or quality of its habitat, the species is here assessed as Vulnerable. IUCN Red List Category: Vulnerable VUB2ab (ii, iii).

Figures

Figures 2 - 10. 2 Bolbitis fluviatilis (Hook.) Ching 3 Bolbitis heudelotii (Bory ex Fee) Alston 4 Lepidagathis alopecuroides R. Br. ex Griseb. 5 Achyranthes talbotii Hutch & Daziel 6 Crinum natans Baker 7 Kanahia laniflora (Forssk.) R. Br. 8 Anubias barteri Schott 9 Cyperus rheophyticus Lye 10 Cyperus tonkinensis C. B. Clarke var. baikiei (C. B. Clarke ex Kuk) S. S. Hooper.