Summary
The central African genus Blighiopsis (Sapindaceae) has until now contained a single species, which occurs in forest in Congo (Kinshasa). Analysis of the characters that distinguish between Blighiopsis and Haplocoelum indicates that the recently described H. gabonicum from forest in Gabon and Congo (Brazzaville) is a second species of Blighiopsis. The new combination Blighiopsis gabonica is published, a lectotype is chosen, and a revised distribution map is provided. A distinctive feature of this plant is the presence of two vestigial, filiform leaflets on the petiole. Reports of polyphyly in Haplocoelum based on molecular data require verification.
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Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Martin Cheek for employing me to help identify collections from Congo (Brazzaville) and for his interest in this study, and to K for the use of herbarium and library facilities. I also thank Ben Pollard for the photograph of Blighiopsis gabonica, Felix Merklinger for a translation from German, Xander van der Burgt for help with localities and databasing, George Gosline for the distribution map, two reviewers for suggesting significant improvements to an earlier version of the manuscript, Margaret Tebbs for the line drawing, and Frans Breteler for graciously accepting my findings.
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Hopkins, H.C.F. A second species in the little known African genus Blighiopsis (Sapindaceae). Kew Bull 68, 345–353 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-013-9441-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-013-9441-5