Ledermanniella boloensis C.Cusset (Cusset 1984: 272)

Bidault, Ehoarn, Boupoya, Archange, Ikabanga, Davy U., Nguimbit, Igor, Texier, Nicolas, Rutishauser, Rolf, Mesterhazy, Attila & Stevart, Tariq, 2023, Novitates Gabonenses 93: a fresh look at Podostemaceae in Gabon following recent inventories, with a new combination for Ledermanniella nicolasii, Plant Ecology and Evolution 156 (1), pp. 59-84 : 59

Ledermanniella boloensis C.Cusset (Cusset 1984: 272)

Type.

GABON • Waterfall on the Bolo river , a tributary of the Gnyé, itself a tributary of the Ntem [" Cascade de la Bolo, affluent de la Gnyé, qui du Ntem "]; 27 Aug. 1933; [2°07 ’42” N, 11°45 ’21” E]; 580 m; fl., fr.; Le Testu 9257; holotype: P [P00179263]; isotypes: BM [BM000910388], BR [BR0000006264734, BR0000009211674], P [P00179264, P00179265], WAG [WAG0194844] .

Distribution.

Endemic to Gabon. This species is only known from the type collection, Le Testu 9257, gathered in 1933 at "Cascade de la Bolo, affluent de la Gnyé, qui du Ntem" (waterfall on the Bolo river, a tributary of the Gnyé river, itself a tributary of the Ntem river). The name “Gnyé” was unfortunately misspelled as “Ngounyé” by Cusset (1984), leading to confusion about the locality where this species was collected. The Ngounyé (or Ngounié) river is one of Gabon’s largest, and flows in the southern part of the country, whereas the Gnyé river is a small tributary of the Ntem river, located at the border of Gabon and Cameroon, in the Woleu-Ntem province.

Habitat and ecology.

Rapids and falls in rivers ca 30 wide, 580 m in elevation. No information could be found regarding its abundance on the site where it has been found. Flowers and fruits were collected in August. No other Podostemaceae was collected at the type locality.

Notes.

The northernmost part of Gabon (including the portion of the Ntem river located in the country and its tributaries) has never been explored for Podostemaceae except for this single collection made by Georges Le Testu in 1933. Future explorations in this region could lead to the rediscovery of this enigmatic species, which has surprisingly not been collected in the Ntem river despite recent collecting efforts conducted in Cameroon.