<i>Pseudohydrosme bogneri</i>sp. nov. (Araceae), a spectacular Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) species from Gabon, long confused with<i>Anchomanes nigritianus</i>

Luke

2022

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Descriptions and illustrations are presented for three new species to science, Vepris udzungwa Cheek, V. lukei Cheek (both Udzungwa Mts, Tanzania) and V. robertsoniae Cheek & Q. Luke (SE Kenyan kaya forests) in the context of a synoptic taxonomic revision, with an identification key to all the known unifoliolate taxa of Vepris in continental Africa. The remaining species are given skeletal taxonomic treatments (lacking descriptions). One widespread species in montane eastern Africa is renamed as Vepris simplex Cheek because its previous name, Vepris simplicifolia (Engl.)Mziray is predated by Vepris simplicifolia Endl. (basionym of Sarcomelicope simplicifolia (Endl.)T.G. Hartley, a widespread species of Australia, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, and of New Caledonia). Conservation assessments are presented for all species, or provisional conservation assessments are presented. Of the 13 taxa, 11 are considered threatened, of which six are VU, two EN and three CR, of which two are possibly extinct globally in the Uluguru Mts of Tanzania although not yet Red Listed on iucnredlist.org.

“…2022c). New extinctions have recently been reliably reported from Gabon (Moxon-Holt & Cheek 2021, Cheek et al 2021) and Cameroon (Cheek & Williams 1999, Cheek et al . 2018c, Cheek et al .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 89%

A taxonomic synopsis of unifoliolate continental AfricanVepris(Rutaceae) with three new threatened forest tree species from Kenya and Tanzania

Luke

2022

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“…(Cheek and Williams 1999; Cheek et al 2018a; Cheek et al 2019b). In some cases, species appear to have become extinct even before they are named for science e.g.in Gabon, the spectacular aroids Pseudohydrosme bogneri Cheek and Moxon-Holt (Moxon-Holt and Cheek 2021) and P. buettneri Engl. (Cheek et al 2021) and in Cameroon the cloud forest tree Vepris bali Cheek (Cheek et al 2018b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new, Critically Endangered species of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) from the coastal plain of the Republic of Congo

2022

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Impatiens moutsambotei is described from a herbarium specimen collected at a waterfall in forest on the coastal plain, below the Mayombe Mts of the Republic of Congo. Sharing many distinctive characters with Impatiens floretii of the Doudou Mts of Gabon, it is abundantly distinguished inter alia by the leaf-blades which are lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, not ovate, their bases acute, not obtuse or broadly rounded to truncate; the reduced, peduncular bracts bearing long, filiform setae, and not entire; the proximal (upper) of the lateral united petals are entire, not bifid; the spur is curved at the base and overlaps the lower sepal, not curved through its length to describe a semi-circle and held below the lower sepal. Both species are placed in the Impatiens macroptera species aggregate. Impatiens moutsambotei is known from a single site, where it was collected nearly 30 years ago and not seen since. The new species is assessed as Critically Endangered due to threats of habitat clearance from mining and road widening, and may be already be extinct.

“…(Cheek & Williams 1999;Cheek et al 2018c;Cheek et al 2019b). In some cases, species appear to be extinct even before they are named for science, such as Vepris bali Cheek (Cheek et al 2018d), and in neighbouring Gabon, Pseudohydrosme bogneri Cheek & Moxon-Holt (Moxon-Holt & Cheek 2021). Most of the >800 Cameroonian species in the Red Data Book for the plants of Cameroon are threatened with extinction due to habitat clearance or degradation, especially of forest for large-scale plantations e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impatiens banensp. nov. &I. etugeisp. nov. (Balsaminaceae), threatened lowland species of the Cross-Sanaga Interval, Cameroon

Darbyshire

Onana

2022

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SummaryWe describe two range-restricted new species to science from the genus Impatiens (Balsaminaceae), both threatened, from the Cross-Sanaga Interval of western Cameroon. The first, Impatiens banen, appears to be restricted to an open seepage microhabitat on granitic inselbergs in the lowland-submontane forest zone of the Ebo Forest in Littoral Region and is provisionally assessed using the 2012 IUCN standard as Vulnerable. Sharing characters with Impatiens burtonii and I. mannii, it differs from both, and appears to be unique in Cameroon inter alia 1) in the bicolored united lateral petals, the upper petals being white, while the lower petals are an intense pink-purple, 2) the hairy, filamentous spur, purple with a white apex, is curved along its length (through nearly 360°), almost describing a circle. Inselberg-specific species are unusual in Impatiens.The second species, Impatiens etugei, of the I. macroptera aggregate, is restricted to rocks in the Mutel River of the Kom Wum Forest Reserve of NorthWest Region and is assessed as Critically Endangered. Having similarities with I. mackeyana and I. letouzeyi, it differs from other species in the aggregate inter alia by having opposite leaves (vs always alternate), flower exterior white (vs pink or pink-purple), and in the dorsal petal having a pair of lateral projections (vs projections absent).