Anisophyllea pochetii P.A. Duvigneaud & Dewit (1950: 938)

Chen, Xin, He, Hai & Zhang, Li-Bing, 2015, A monograph of the Anisophylleaceae (Cucurbitales) with description of 18 new species of Anisophyllea, Phytotaxa 229 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

50. Anisophyllea pochetii P.A. Duvigneaud & Dewit (1950: 938) ( Figure 98 )

Type :— DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO. Bandundu : Between Idiofa and Kilembe, 25 June 1948, P. Duvigneaud 1073 A (holotype BRLU-0000090021381!, isotype BRLU-0000090020186!) .

Small rhizomatous shrubs 30–60 cm tall, very often with numerous stems; branches densely pilose and tomentose with ferruginous tortuous tomenta 1–2 mm long,. Leaves petiolate, petiole 4–6 mm long, densely pilose and tomentose; leaves at base of branches often with blade elliptical, 6.5–10.0 cm long, 3–5 cm wide, apex somewhat mucronate; leaves above base of the branches often narrowly elliptical, 6.0– 8.5 cm long, 1.5–2.5cm wide, base narrowly acute, apex ±mucronate, coriaceous, brightly green adaxially, dark-green and matted abaxially, finely pubescent on both surfaces while more densely along main veins, sparsely hairy or glabrescent when mature; main longitudinal veins 5–7(–8), 2–4 inner lateral veins starting from midrib some distance above blade base, outer 2–3 veins springing from blade base or a little bit above base, outermost veins very fine and nearly confluent with blade margins, or one most often disappearing into blade margin a very short distance above blade base (if 8 main veins present), all veins slightly prominent adaxially and distinctly prominent abaxially, paler than diachyma; transverse veins irregular; veinlets reticulate, slightly prominent and tessellate on both surfaces. Inflorescence a terminal raceme (or with some flowers solitary at leaf axils); rachis to 4 cm long, 2 mm in diam., with linear bracts, densely

MONOGRAPH OF ANISOPHYLLEACEAE

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CHEN ET AL.

hairy as young branches; flower s bisexual(?), 4-merous, 4–5 mm long; receptacle densely tomentose outside; sepals deltoid, glabrous adaxially, tomentose abaxially, margins ciliate; petals laciniate distally (to ca. 1/3 petal length) with 5 glabrous laciniae ca. 1.5 mm long; stamens 8, free, filament flattened, anthers rounded, ca. 0.5 mm long; styles 4, lower half connate (distal half free), base swollen and pilose, distally attenuate. Fruit a drupe, narrowly pyriform.

Flowering and fruiting: —Flowering in June; fruiting time unknown.

Habitat and distribution: —Scrubland; Elevation unknown. Democratic Republic of the Congo (Bandundu) ( Figure 99 ).

Taxonomic notes: — Anisophyllea pochetii is one of the small shrub species in this genus in western Africa and is characterized by the very fine pubescence on the lower surface of the leaves and the mixture of tomenta and pubescence on young branches and inflorescences. It was hypothesized to be a geographical vicarious species of P. dichostila Engler & von Brehmer in the Idiofa region and the plateau along the Kwango river ( Duvigneaud & Dewit 1950). However, with limited material of both species available, it is difficult to draw a conclusion on the relationship of the two species.

Additional specimens examined: — DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO. Bandundu (?): Along Kasai River, Bienge, October 1907, A . Sapin s.n. ( K) .

Figures

FIGURE 98. Anisophyllea pochetii P.A.Duvigneaud & Dewit. —Flowering branch, leafy branch, and leaves (P. Duvigneaud 1073A; isotype, BR-0000090020186!).

FIGURE 99. Geographical distribution of Anisophyllea pochetii P.A.Duvigneaud & Dewit.