The West and Central African species of Vepris Comm. ex A.Juss. (Rutaceae) with simple or unifoliolate leaves, including two new combinations

Luke

2022

Preprint

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.

Section: Garcinia Laurifoliamentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Luke

2022

Preprint

“…In other parts of Africa species are also highly threatened, e.g., the Critically Endangered Vepris laurifolia (Hutch. & Dalziel) O. Lachenaud & Onana of Guinea-Ivory Coast (formerly V. felicis Breteler, Cheek 2017;Lachenaud & Onana 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…)Mziray, recently renamed as Vepris africana (Hook.f ex Benth.) Lachenaud & Onana (Lachenaud & Onana 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The endemic plant species of Bali Ngemba Forest Reserve, Bamenda Highlands Cameroon, with a new Endangered cloud-forest tree speciesVepris onanae(Rutaceae)

Onana

Hatt

2021

Preprint

We revise and update the records of strict and near endemic species of the Bali Ngemba Forest Reserve, the largest known surviving patch (c. 8 km2 in area) of submontane or cloud forest in the Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon which have lost >96 % of their original forest due to human activities. Nine strict endemics, and 11 near endemics are now documented, a drop from the number recorded after the first survey in 2004, since when five of the provisionally named species have been formally published. We test the hypothesis that a further one of the provisionally named putative Bali Ngemba new species, Vepris sp. A, an 8 - 20 m tall tree from cloud forest in the 1310 - 1600 m altitudinal band, is indeed new to science. We compare it morphologically with other multicarpellate, apocarpous, trifoliolate Cameroon tree species formerly placed in the genus Oricia Pierre until they were subsumed into Vepris by Mziray (1992). These are Vepris trifoliolata (Engl.) Mziray and V. gabonensis (Pierre) Mziray. We conclude that Vepris sp. A is a new undescribed species here named as Vepris onanae. The new species is illustrated, mapped and its conservation status assessed as Endangered using the 2012 IUCN standard due to the threats of habitat clearance from agricultural pressures at its three locations all of which remain formally unprotected. Vepris onanae appears unique among the Guineo-Congolian African oricioid species of Vepris in occurring in cloud forest, the other species, apart from V. renierii of the Albertine Rift, occurring in lowland forest. It also differs in the very broad, (7.8 - ) 11.3 - 18 cm wide leaflets of the flowering stems which have a 6-18(-30) mm long, narrowly triangular acumen (vs leaflets <12 cm wide, acumen absent or short) and in having both subsessile and pedicellate (pedicels 0.25 - 0.3 mm long and 1( - 2) mm long) male flowers (vs male flower pedicels all sessile, or all c. 3 mm long). We report for the first time on stage-dependent leaf heteromorphy in Vepris and characterise a level of sexual dimorphism more advanced than usual in the genus.

The endemic plant species of Mt Kupe, Cameroon with a new Critically Endangered cloud-forest tree species, Vepris zapfackii (Rutaceae)

Onana

2021

Kew Bull

SummaryWe revise and update the records of strict and near-endemic species of Mt Kupe, Cameroon respectively from 31 strict endemics in 2004, to 25 today, and with near-endemic species 30, unchanged in number but with turnover. The changes result from new collections, discoveries and taxonomic changes in the last 16 years. While 15 of the provisionally named putative endemic species have now been formally published, a further 18 have not. The majority of the 30 near-endemic species (18) are shared with the adjacent Bakossi Mts, far exceeding the numbers shared with the more distant Mt Etinde-Mt Cameroon, Rumpi Hills and Ebo forest areas (sharing three near-endemic species each with Mt Kupe). We test the hypothesis that a further one of the provisionally named putative Mt Kupe species, Vepris sp. 1 from submontane forest near the summit, is indeed new to science. We compare it morphologically with the two other bicarpellate high altitude Cameroon Highland tree species V. montisbambutensis Onana and V. bali Cheek, concluding that it is a new undescribed species here named as Vepris zapfackii. The new species is illustrated and its conservation status assessed as Critically Endangered using the 2012 IUCN standard, due to habitat clearance from agricultural pressures at its sole location which is unprotected. Vepris zapfackii and V. bali appear unique in African trifoliolate species of the genus in having opposite leaves. Vepris zapfackii differs in having hairy petiolules and midribs and petiolules with the blade decurrent distally, narrowing towards a winged-canaliculate base (vs glabrous and petiolule long, terete), and sparsely golden hairy pistillodes and a glabrous calyx (vs densely black hairy pistillodes, and sepals hairy).