Cola subgenus Distichae subg. nov. (Malvaceae-Sterculiaceae) of tropical Africa, a synoptic taxonomic revision with five new species.

Cheek, Martin

Cola subgenus Distichae subg. nov. (Malvaceae-Sterculiaceae) of tropical Africa, a synoptic taxonomic revision with five new species.

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Cheek, Martin

ORCID

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November 23, 2024

Abstract

A new subgenus, subg. , is erected for 14 simple-leaved species sharing unique characters within the genus which are presumed synapomorphies: distichous phyllotaxy; petioles lacking pulvini; petioles of uniformly short length, <10 mm long; male flowers with short androphores <1 (– 2) mm long; stamens 4 – 5; stem indumentum, where present, dominated by short simple translucent hairs (except in where stellate); and, in many species, dark purple to black stems with contrasting bright white lenticels. All species have fruit with small, globose, unsculptured, orange mericarps c. 1 cm diam. (where fruits are known). The species of this subgenus range from SE Nigeria in the west to coastal Kenya and Tanzania in the east and Malawi in the south, but are absent from the Congo Basin. Species diversity is highest in the Cross-Sanaga and Eastern Arc-Coastal Forest biogeographic areas, consistent with these taxa being Pleistocene refuge species. The species are mainly monoecious, but dioecy cannot yet be ruled out in some. In two species, where sufficient material was available for investigation ( , sp. nov. , the simple cymes were found to be bisexual, the terminal flower female and the two lateral flowers often male: a pattern previously unreported in the genus. All species are understorey shrubs or small trees of evergreen lowland or submontane forest, except of coastal semi-deciduous forest in E Africa, which is unique in showing xerophilic characteristics. The species can be divided into two groups. : five species mainly in E Africa, with rapidly glabrescent or glabrous stems, conspicuously asymmetric leaves, and, where known, few-flowered, pedunculate cymes ( , , sp. nov., , sp. nov.); group : nine species in Lower Guinea (Atlantic coast of Africa), with hairy stems, symmetric or inconspicuously asymmetric leaves and, where known, sessile, fasciculate inflorescences ( , , , , , sp. nov., sp. nov., , sp. nov.). Of the seven new species to science described here, two are named informally, since the material is so incomplete (sterile) and five are formally named here. Species diversity is highest in Cameroon and Tanzania, each with four species, followed by Gabon with three species. It is expected that additional new species will be found in poorly-surveyed, surviving, evergreen forest habitat in each of these three countries. Conservation assessments are given for each species using the IUCN 2012 standard. All species but one are considered threatened, with ten Critically Endangered (the highest category of threat), each of which is known from a single location with their forest habitat threatened, mainly by clearance for agriculture.