Combretum baldwinii Jongkind 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Jongkind, Carel C. H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Myrtales
Combretaceae
Combretum
Combretum baldwinii

description: Combretum baldwinii Jongkind, sp. nov.
(Table 1; Figs 1, 2)
Combretum baldwinii Jongkind, sp. nov. resembles C. latialatum Engl. ex Engl. & Diels by the receptacle shape and length of the filaments free part, but differs most conspicuously by the petals, receptacle and bracts much more hairy outside and an upper receptacle more glabrous inside, a longer upper receptacle (> 10 mm) and a much longer free part of the style (c. 7 vs 3 mm).
TYPUS. — Nigeria. Enugu State, Awgu, 24.XI.1949, fl. Baldwin 13793 (holo-, K!; iso-, A [A-01895809]!, WAG [WAG.1477768]!)
DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — Only known from the type locality near Awgu in Nigeria. The area was probably mostly forest in the time that the plant was collected and today part of this hilly area is still forest.
CONSERVATION STATUS. — With only one specimen known that is collected without field notes more than 70 years ago the data are inadequate to perform an assessment. C. baldwinii Jongkind, sp. nov. is classified here as “Data Deficient” [DD] using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN, 2012). The area where the new species is found is not known as a botanical “hotspot”. It is impossible to tell if this single specimen was the result of a lucky encounter with a widespread but hard to spot large liana or an easy collection of a locally common species in an area that no other botanist did visit in the right time of the year. There are several large Combretum forest liana species known from only very few collections with large distrances in between.
DESCRIPTION
Liana. Branchlets hairy, soon glabrescent and smooth. Leaves more or less opposite; petiole 2-4 mm long, hairy, sometimes growing into woody climbing hooks; blade elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 3-5 × 2-3.5 cm, with many small erect hairs on both sides, soft to touch, with 3-5 pairs of main lateral nerves; base rounded to slightly cordate; apex acuminate. Inflorescence terminal on short side shoots or axillary, to 5 cm long, peduncle 0.5-2 cm long; bracts 5-7 × 1.5-2 mm, long acuminate, hairy. Flower 5-merous, sessile; lower re ceptacle 1.5 mm high, densely hairy; upper receptacle c. 12 mm high, densely hairy outside, inside with a hairy belt c. 3 mm wide and glabrous above and below this belt; calyx lobes c. 0.5 mm long; petals c. 3.5 × 1.3 mm, glabrous inside, densely appressed hairy outside, apex acute; stamens 2-seriate, inserted inside above the hairy belt, free part of the filaments c. 3.5 mm long, shortly exserted from the receptacle; anthers c. 0.5 mm long; style attached to the wall of the upper receptacle except for the last c. 7 mm, glabrous. Fruit not known.
description: Published as part of Jongkind, Carel C. H., 2021, A review of Combretum falcatum (Welw. ex Hiern) Jongkind (Combretaceae) and related species from Africa, including Combretum baldwinii Jongkind, sp. nov., from Nigeria, pp. 241-249 in Adansonia (3) (3) 43 (22) on pages 242-244, DOI: 10.5252/adansonia2021v43a22, http://zenodo.org/record/5735031