Premium
Calycosiphonia pentemara sp. nov. (afrotropical Rubiaceae) from the ‘Lower Guinea’ area
Author(s) -
Sonké Bonaventure,
Djuikouo K MarieNoël,
Robbrecht Elmar
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
nordic journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.333
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1756-1051
pISSN - 0107-055X
DOI - 10.1111/j.0107-055x.2007.00141.x
Subject(s) - biology , rubiaceae , inflorescence , clade , genus , iucn red list , botany , zoology , phylogenetics , biochemistry , gene
A distinctive new species of Calycosiphonia (Rubiaceae) is described and illustrated. It is endemic to the Lower Guinea Domain of the Guineo‐Congolian Region, where it is restricted to south Cameroon and Monte Alén National Park (Equatorial Guinea). Its conservation status is assessed as vulnerable according to the Red list criteria of IUCN. Calycosiphonia pentamera sp. nov. is the third species known from the genus. Molecular data have recently shown that the genera Calycosiphonia and Argocoffeopis form a single clade, but leave some open questions on how to distinguish and delimit the two genera. In the present state of knowledge, the novelty should be placed in Calycosiphonia based on morphological evidence: shrubs with large leaves becoming blackish in the dried state, inflorescences axillary and paired at the nodes, and fruits exceeding 15 mm in diameter. The 5‐merous condition of the flowers and the presence of standard anthers (without transverse septa in the thecae) in C. pentamera are features not previously recorded from the genus. They require a better understanding in the framework of a more robust molecular phylogeny, allowing character analysis of the Calycosiphonia/Argocoffeopsis clade.