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| Ternstroemia guineensis Cheek
in Cheek, Haba, Konomou & Van Der Burgt, 2019.
DOI: 10.3372/wi.49.49306
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Abstract
Ternstroemia guineensis is described from a sandstone table mountain at Kounounkan, possibly the last in the Fouta Djallon (Guinea Highlands) to remain largely unimpacted by humans and to have mainly intact natural habitats. It occurs about 2400 km westward of the nearest existing record (Nigeria) of the genus in Africa. It is confined to cloud (submontane) forest in galleries along watercourses. Its conservation status is assessed as Endangered using the IUCN 2012 criteria. The species differs from the other two African highland species, T. cameroonensis and T. polypetala, in having hermaphrodite flowers with a long subcylindric style and punctiform stigmas, and petals connate at the base into a tube (not dioecious, with a short style and cone-like stigmas, and free petals) resembling in these features the neotropical Ternstroemia species, as does also the lowland wetland T. africana of Nigeria, Gabon and Angola.
KEYWORDS: amphi-Atlantic, conservation, Guinea, Guinea Highlands, Kounounkan, medicinal, new species, Pentaphylacaceae, relic, Ternstroemia, Ternstroemiaceae, Theaceae, West Africa
Ternstroemia guineensis Cheek, sp. nov.
Holotype: Guinea, Forécariah Préfecture, S part of Kounounkan Plateau, ..., 910 m, fl., 26 Nov 2017, P. M. Haba with X. M. van der Burgt, L. Jennings & G. Konomou 1060 (K K001286639; isotypes: HNG, MO, P, US, WAG).
Diagnosis — Similar to Ternstroemia africana Melch., differing in the smaller leaves (2.5–)3.7–6.1(–6.7) × (1.3–)1.6–2.5(–3) cm, secondary nerves not visible, (not (4–)8–10 × (2–)4–5 cm, secondary nerves visible, c. 7 pairs); petiole margins entire or with 1–2 setae (not densely glandular denticulate); peduncles 1.4–2.4 cm long (not 3–4.5 cm long).
Distribution — Ternstroemia guineensis is currently only known from the southernmost plateau of the Kounounkan Massif in Forécariah Prefecture, an uninhabited sandstone table mountain, where it is known from gallery forests along four streams.
Ecology — The species was found in species-rich submontane gallery (cloud) forest, on rocky soils, at 900–1100 m altitude.
Etymology — The specific epithet guineensis signifies from Guinea (Guinea-Conakry or the Republic of Guinea), which holds the only known global location for this species.
KEYWORDS: amphi-Atlantic, conservation, Guinea, Guinea Highlands, Kounounkan, medicinal, new species, Pentaphylacaceae, relic, Ternstroemia, Ternstroemiaceae, Theaceae, West Africa
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| Fig. 1. Ternstroemia guineensis – A: habit, flowering leafy stems; B: detail of revolute margin of mature leaf, abaxial view, showing circular scars of fallen marginal setae; C: detail of one seta scar from B; D: detail of margin of immature leaf showing patent setae; E: flower, hydrated, side view; F: connate corolla with staminal ring, as self-detaching after anthesis; G: flower, with pistil exposed by removal of two sepals, two petals and several stamens; H: transverse section of ovary showing intruding placentas in both of two locules; I: side view of stamen, showing inward arching; J: adaxial view of stamen; K: inner view of two adherent petals, with adherent staminal ring; L: petal (flattened), adaxial surface showing slightly lacerate distal margins and longitudinal nerves; M: outer sepal (flattened); N: inner sepal (flattened).
Scale bars: A = 5 cm; B–G, K–N = 5 mm; I, J = 2 mm; H = 1 mm.
All drawn from Pepe Haba 1060 (K) by Andrew Brown.
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| Fig. 2. Ternstroemia guineensis – A: habitat, submontane gallery forest in sparsely wooded grassland; B: habit; C: flower; D: fruits; E: base of a multi-stemmed shrub; F: bark of a tree, trunk c. 18 cm in diam.
Photos: Republic of Guinea, Kounounkan Massif, Feb 2019, Xander van der Burgt.
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Holotype: Guinea, Forécariah Préfecture, S part of Kounounkan Plateau, ..., 910 m, fl., 26 Nov 2017, P. M. Haba with X. M. van der Burgt, L. Jennings & G. Konomou 1060 (K K001286639; isotypes: HNG, MO, P, US, WAG).
Diagnosis — Similar to Ternstroemia africana Melch., differing in the smaller leaves (2.5–)3.7–6.1(–6.7) × (1.3–)1.6–2.5(–3) cm, secondary nerves not visible, (not (4–)8–10 × (2–)4–5 cm, secondary nerves visible, c. 7 pairs); petiole margins entire or with 1–2 setae (not densely glandular denticulate); peduncles 1.4–2.4 cm long (not 3–4.5 cm long).
Distribution — Ternstroemia guineensis is currently only known from the southernmost plateau of the Kounounkan Massif in Forécariah Prefecture, an uninhabited sandstone table mountain, where it is known from gallery forests along four streams.
Ecology — The species was found in species-rich submontane gallery (cloud) forest, on rocky soils, at 900–1100 m altitude.
Etymology — The specific epithet guineensis signifies from Guinea (Guinea-Conakry or the Republic of Guinea), which holds the only known global location for this species.
Martin Cheek, Pepe M. Haba, Gbamon Konomou and Xander M. Van Der Burgt. 2019. Ternstroemia guineensis (Ternstroemiaceae), A New Endangered Cloudforest Shrub with Neotropical Affinities from Kounounkan, Guinea, W Africa. Willdenowia. 49(3); 351-360. DOI: 10.3372/wi.49.49306
