Streptocarpus schaijesii Eb. Fisch. &amp; I. Darbysh. 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Fischer, Eberhard
name: Darbyshire, Iain
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Lamiales
Gesneriaceae
Streptocarpus
Streptocarpus schaijesii

description: <i>Streptocarpus schaijesii</i> Eb.Fisch. &amp; I.Darbysh., <b>sp. nov.</b> (figs 7, 8, 9B) – Type: D.R. CONGO <b>– Haut Katanga</b> • à 53 km SW de Kolwezi, Musokatanda, près des chutes de la Lofupa, rocher couvert des mousses en galerie forestière; 1200 m; 25 Dec. 1982; <i>Schaijes 1695</i>; holotype: BR [BR0000016803411]. <b>Diagnosis</b> – The species differs from <i>Streptocarpus michelmorei</i> in the pale lilac corolla lacking a deep violet patch on the palate and behind, in the corolla tube being only slightly curved and scarcely deepened on the lower side at the middle, and in the distinctly shorter capsule. The species differs from <i>Streptocarpus solenanthus</i> in usually having a shorter corolla tube and in the longer lower lip of the corolla. It differs from <i>Streptocarpus bampsii</i> in the slightly curved and longer corolla tube, the longer corolla lower lip and the longer staminodes. <b>Description</b> – Monocarpic acaulescent herb. Unifoliate, lamina broadly ovate to nearly orbicular, 10–25 × 9–19.9 cm, base shallowly cordate, margin crenate-dentate, apex obtuse, usually withered, pubescent on upper and lower surface, with 12–17 pairs of lateral nerves, petiolode not exceeding 1 cm long, pubescent. Inflorescences 1–2 per plant, arising from the petiolode, peduncle up to 9.5(–14) cm long, pubescent. Pedicels 12–19 mm long, eglandular pubescent, bracts linear-lanceolate, up to 5 mm long. Calyx divided to base, lobes lanceolate, 3–6 mm long, hairs on calyx eglandular. Corolla dark violet to blue, lobes of almost the same colour as the tube, 25–43 mm long, densely eglandular-pubescent, glabrous within, tube slightly curved, only slightly expanded towards mouth, (15–)22–35 mm long, 3–5 mm in diameter, 6–7 mm towards mouth, limb bilabiate, upper lip of two rounded lobes, 3–6 × 3–5 mm, lower lip of 3 rounded lobes, 6–11 × 4–6 mm, lateral lobe 6 × 4–6 mm, median lobe 6–11 × 6 mm. Stamens inserted in upper third of corolla tube towards mouth, filaments 7 mm long, glabrous, anthers white, 2–3 mm long, staminodes inserted below stamens, 1.5–2 mm long. Ovary densely eglandular-pubescent, ovary and style 15–20 mm long. Capsules 45–65 × 1.5–2 mm, eglandular-pubescent. <b>Distribution</b> – Endemic to D.R. Congo, Haut Katanga. <b>Habitat</b> – Humid, calcareous rocks in gallery forest or ravine near waterfall, 1200–1650 m elevation. <b>Etymology</b> – Named after Michel Schaijes, who made major contributions to the knowledge of the flora of Katanga, and who collected the type. <b>IUCN conservation assessment (preliminary)</b> – Endangered: EN B2ab(iii). <i>Streptocarpus schaijesii</i> is known from 8 herbarium collections comprising 5 localities. The estimated AOO is 20 km 2 (assuming a 4 km 2 grid cell size). The habitat of gallery forest is under potential threat of logging. Thus, the species could be preliminarily assessed as Endangered: EN B2ab(iii). <b>Additional specimens studied</b> – D.R. CONGO <b>– Haut Katanga</b> • Lubumbashi–Likasi, km 50, riv. Kamianga, Thalweg de ravin boisé; 11°18′S, 27°17′E; 1335 m; 15 Jan. 1986; <i>Bamps &amp; Malaisse 8026</i>; BR[BR0000016803428] • Luita, forêt dense de ravin, sur un bloc rocheux; 10°44′S, 26°18′E; 1500 m; 4 Apr. 1986; <i>Malaisse 13820</i>; BR[BR0000016803404] • Biano, au 22,8 km au N de Temke, sur la piste de la ferme Scholls, sur termitière; 1650 m; 26 Mar. 1984; <i>Schaijes 2282</i>; BR[BR0000016803398] • Route carrefour Likasi-Kambove et bifurcation Mindigi, Kakontwe, paroi verticale de calcaire; 27 Mar. 1986; <i>Malaisse 13809</i>; BR[BR0000016803497] • Calcaire de Kakontwe; 2 Apr. 1981; <i>Malaisse 11761</i>; BR[BR0000016803503] • Kakontwe, affleurement calcaire, paroi verticale ombragé; 3 Oct. 1979; <i>Malaisse 9956</i>; BR[BR0000016803510] • à 5 km au N de Kakontwe, chandelle calcaire, au paroi rocheuse vertical; 30 Jan. 1980; <i>Malaisse 10213</i>; BR[BR0000016803350]. <b>Taxonomic notes</b> – <i>Streptocarpus bampsii</i>, <i>S. malaissei</i>, <i>S. salesianorum</i>, and <i>S. schaijesii</i> are morphologically close and apparently related to <i>Streptocarpus michelmorei</i> B.L.Burtt (Burtt 1939: 72) and <i>S. solenanthus</i> Mansfeld (Mansfeld 1934: 96) in <i>Streptocarpus</i> agg. <i>cooperi</i> of Hilliard &amp; Burtt (1971). They have eglandular hairs on the pedicel, calyx, and corolla, and the limb is small in relation to the tube, with a lower lip not exceeding 15 mm of length. Hilliard &amp; Burtt (1971) assigned some taxa to the <i>S. michelmorei</i> complex, where they distinguished two species from Malawi (7A <i>Streptocarpus</i> sp. <i>S. michelmorei</i> affinis) and Zambia (7B <i>Streptocarpus</i> sp. <i>S. michelmorei</i> affinis). Despite the overall similarities, several distinct entities can be distinguished which are described here as new species. One taxon from this aggregate, <i>Streptocarpus mbeyensis</i> I.Darbysh. (Darbyshire 2006: 39) has already been described. For a comparison of the species see table 2. Wild-collected material assigned to <i>S. michelmorei</i> appears to be rather more variable than the type material. Hilliard &amp; Burtt (1988) suggests that plants from Bridal Veils Falls in the Chimanimani Mts of Zimbabwe (e.g. <i>Bamps, Symoens &amp; Vandenberghen 770</i>, BR0000016801868, BR0000027611722V) may be intermediate between <i>S. michelmorei</i> and <i>S eylesii</i> S.Moore, stating that the deep corolla colouration and slender fruits are close to <i>S. michelmorei</i> but that the distinctly curved corolla tube and larger median lobe suggest the influence of <i>S. eylesii</i>. However, the Bridal Veils Falls plants have a short eglandular indumentum on the inflorescence, whilst both <i>S. michelmorei</i> and <i>S. eylesii</i> usually have a glandular component to their inflorescence indumentum, casting doubt over Burtt’s theory that this is a hybrid population.
description: Published as part of <i>Fischer, Eberhard &amp; Darbyshire, Iain, 2021, Five new species of Streptocarpus (Gesneriaceae) from Katanga, D. R. Congo, pp. 264-280 in Plant Ecology and Evolution 154 (2)</i> on pages 276-277, DOI: 10.5091/plecevo.2021.1824, http://zenodo.org/record/5847153
description: {"references": ["Burtt B. L. 1939. Notes on Streptocarpus. Kew Bulletin 1939: 68 - 84.", "Mansfeld R. 1934. Gesneriaceae. In: Mildbraed J. (ed.) Neue und seltene Arten aus Ostafrika (Tanganyika-Territ. Mandat) leg. H. J. Schlieben. Notizblatt des Botanischen Gartens und Museums Berlin-Dahlem 12: 94 - 98.", "Hilliard O. M. &amp; Burtt B. L. 1971. Streptocarpus: an African plant study. University of Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg.", "Darbyshire I. 2006. Gesneriaceae. In: Beentje H. &amp; Ghazanfar S. A. (eds) Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1 - 75. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond.", "Hilliard O. M. &amp; Burtt B. L. 1988. Gesneriaceae. In: Launert E. (ed.) Flora Zambesiaca 8 (3): 43 - 60."]}