Marantochloa alba A. C. Ley 2012, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ley, Alexandra C.
name: Classen-Bockhoff, Regine
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Liliopsida
Zingiberales
Marantaceae
Marantochloa
Marantochloa alba

description: <i>Marantochloa alba</i> A. C. Ley, sp. nov. (Figs 1; 2) Marantochloa purpurea (Ridley) Milne-Redh. <i>similis sed foliis homotropis, laminis inferioribus non albis, rhachidi inflorescentiae viridi et floribus albis praecipue differt, atque in silva haud in palude habitat.</i> TYPUS. — <b>Gabon</b>. Monts de Cristal, Tchimbele, in primary forest north of storage lake, 0°37’30.8”N, 10°24’16.7”E, 15.XII.2005, <i>A. C. Ley 242</i> (holo- WAG!; iso- LBV!). PARATYPI. — <b>Gabon</b>. Monts de Cristal, in the closed forest around the hydroelectrical station in Tchimbele, 0°37’11.0”N, 10°24’24.1”E, 18.XII.2005, <i>A. C. Ley 250</i> (LBV, WAG), 28.XI.2006, <i>A. C. Ley</i> 268 (LVB, WAG).— near Tchimbele, 0°36’S, 10°23’E, 1994, <i>Breteler 13036</i> (LBV, WAG). — SEEF Logging Concession, 590 m, 0°27.597’N, 10°30.359’E, 21.X.2010, <i>T. Stevart</i> 3504 (BRLU). — 580 m, 0°27.914’N, 10°30.229’E, 23.X.2010, <i>T. Stevart</i> 3548 (BRLU). HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION. — Primary forest at around 500 m altitude in Monts de Cristal, Gabon (Fig. 3). FIG. 3. — Collection sites of the five new species from Gabon. Site names: ■, Monts de Cristal/Kingele/Lonmin; <b>Â</b>, Mikongo, Monts de Cristal; ◆, Ndjole; ●, La Lope, research station; <b>Ê</b>, Mikongo, Lopé National Park. DESCRIPTION Rhizomatous herb, up to 2.5 m tall, forming clusters; above ground shoots ramified (branched) with five sheaths at the base.Leaves homotropic; leaf sheath up to 15 cm long, oblong-elliptic, pubescent on exterior side; petiole absent; pulvinus 5-10 cm, pubescent; lamina up to 27 × 12 cm, glabrous except at the base around the midrib, leaf ending in a tip 1.7 cm long. Inflorescence lax, hanging, rarely branching, up to 25 cm long; peduncle 6.5 cm long, green, pubescent; internodes of the inflorescence axis up to five, 2.0- 5.5 cm long, green, glabrous except of the base; fertile bracts distichous, 4-5 bracts per partial inflorescence (partial inflorescence) all of similar length (3.6 cm), green, glabrous except of the ciliate margin; flower pairs 1-2 (3)per bract; axis of flower pair 32 mm long, white, glabrous; pedicelles 3 and 13 mm long, rose, glabrous; bracteoles absent.Flowers white; sepals 15 × 5 mm; petals 22 × 6 mm, folded backwards; outer staminodes 25 mm long; cucullate staminodes about 20 mm long with yellow trigger appendage; callose staminode about 15 mm long, with characteristic upward bending near the base of the corolla tube (as found in <i>M. purpurea</i> (Ridley) Milne-Redh. and <i>M. mannii</i> (Benth.)Milne-Redh.);stamen 3 mm; petaloid appendage yellow, up to 20 mm long enfolding the cucullate staminode; style about 23 mm; ovary 2 × 1.5 mm, white pubescent. Fruit and seeds not seen. REMARKS <i>Marantochloa alba</i> A. C. Ley, sp. nov. differs from the similar <i>Marantochloa purpurea</i> in homotropic leaves, the colour of inflorescence and flower and the colour of the lower leaf side. In contrast to <i>Marantochloa purpurea,</i> which is restricted to swampy habitats <i>Marantochloa alba</i> A. C. Ley, sp. nov. has been found on dry ground in the primary forest.
description: Published as part of <i>Ley, Alexandra C. &amp; Classen-Bockhoff, Regine, 2012, Five new species of Marantaceae endemic to Gabon, pp. 37-52 in Adansonia (3) (3) 34 (1)</i> on pages 38-41, DOI: 10.5252/a2012n1a4, http://zenodo.org/record/5205844