Tuesday, April 30, 2024

[Botany • 2024] Casearia septandra (Salicaceae) • A New tree Species from the Mountains of Guinea, West Africa


Casearia septandra Breteler & Baldé, 

in Breteler et Baldé, 2024. 

Summary
In the synopsis of Casearia Jacq. in West and Central Africa (Breteler 2008), only a single, poor collection (Adam 3972), identified as C. prismatocarpa Mast., was recorded from the mountains of Guinea. More recently, some other flowering and fruiting specimens of Casearia have been collected from the same region as Adam’s specimen and together they represent a new species. It is illustrated and named herein as Casearia septandra, its distribution is mapped and conservation status assessed as Endangered, according to the IUCN criteria. A key to the four Casearia species of the Upper Guinea region of West Africa is presented.

Key Words: endangered, endemic, montane rainforest, taxonomy, woody plant

Casearia septandra. A leafy branchlet; B fruits; C dehisced fruit.
A – B from Baldé 1001; C from C. A. Couch et al. 550.
photos: A – B © A. Baldé; C © X. van der Burgt

Casearia septandra Breteler & Baldé sp. nov.


F. J. Breteler and A. Baldé. 2024. Casearia septandra (Salicaceae), A New tree Species from the Mountains of Guinea, West Africa. Kew Bulletin. DOI: 10.1007/s12225-024-10166-8