Blighiopsis gabonica (Breteler) H.C.Hopkins

Breteler, F.J. Kew Bull (2011) 66: 447. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-011-9297-5

Morphology General Habit

Shrub to small tree up to 15 m tall and 15 cm dbh

Morphology Branches

Branchlets subappressed-puberulous to tomentellous, glabrescent

Morphology Leaves

Leaves paripinnate to imparipinnate, (1 –) 2 – 7 (– 8)- foliolate (the rudimentary, basal pair excluded); petiole ± semiterete, broadened towards the base, 2 – 7 (– 10) mm long, puberulous, glabrescent; rachis ± terete (see Fig. 1C), semiterete in the basal part, (0.5 –) 3 – 10 (– 13) cm long, puberulous, at the base provided with two narrowly triangular, up to 3 mm long, puberulous, rudimentary leaflets; leaflets: petiolule usually tumid (1 –) 2 – 3 (– 4) mm long, puberulous; lamina papery, glabrous or sometimes with a few sparse hairs on the midrib beneath, elliptic, 2 – 3.5 times as long as wide, (4 –) 8 – 16 (– 21) × (2 –) 3 – 5 (– 8) cm, cuneate at base, the margin revolute or not, 0.5 – 2.5 cm long acuminate at apex, the acumen acute to rounded apically; midrib and the (8 –) 9 – 13 (15) pairs of main lateral nerves as well as the tertiairynervation prominent both sides

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Male inflorescence paniculate, often lowly branched, rarely a simple raceme, up to 5 cm long, ± pendulous, greenish white, puberulous-tomentellous, often catkin-like when young

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts and bracteoles elliptic, concave, c- 1 mm long, margin entire or denticulate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Male flowers greenish white, 5 (– 6)-merous Female flowers unknown

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel

Pedicel 1 – 2 mm long, puberulous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5 (– 6), free, sometimes irregular in size, elliptic, concave, 1 – 2 mm long, top acute, puberulous outside, glabrous inside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 5 (– 6), free, glabrous; filaments 2.5 – 3 mm long, anthers 1 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistillodes

Pistillode sometimes present, 2 – 3 mm long, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits green (mature?), ± sharply trigonus with slightly convex faces, tapering at both ends, 2.5 – 3 × 1.5 – 1.8 cm, ± smooth, glabrous, pruinose, one-seeded, probably dehiscent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed ellipsoid c- 2 × 1.5 cm, slightly triangular on transverse section; cotyledons ± plano-convex, envelopped in a 1 – 1.5 mm thick sarcotesta.

Distribution

Gabon, Congo (Brazzaville).

Ecology

Forest; 250 – 700 m alt.

Conservation

conservation status. An assessment of the conservation status for Haplocoelumgabonicum was performed using the ArcView tool developed by the GIS-unit of Kew (Moat 2007). Its extent of occurrence measures c. 62,750 km², which is not much over the unofficial threshold for Near Threatened for this criterion, so it is assessed as possible Near Threatened. The area of occupancy was calculated using a sliding scale, which resulted in a cell width of 47.7 km. The nine resulting grid cells have a total area of 20,500 km², which gives the conservation assessement as Least Concern. Given both assessement measures more or less result in Least Concern, and the forest in Gabon is, at present, being not severely threatened, I consider that this species should be classified as Least Concern (LC) following the IUCN (2001) catgories and criteria.

Note

The distinction between Haplocoelumgabonicum on the one hand and H. acuminatum and H. congolanum on the other hand has been laid out in the key below. The latter two species are separated collectively under H. acuminatum as I have not been able to distinguish these two species from one another. Hauman (1960) separated them on account of several variable characters from the inflorescence, namely being ‘multiflorous’ or ‘pluriflorous’, pedicel length, the length of the sepals, and the length of the pedicel in fruit. The measurements of H. acuminatum given for the last three elements partly contradict with their length in the accompanying illustration. Moreover, the flowering material of H. congolanum is very scarce and the leaves do not show any distinctive characters. The habit characteristics, namely shrub or subshrub for H. congolanum versus arborescent for H. acuminatum, mentioned by Hauman (1958), are not repeated in his key in 1960 (Hauman1960). For these reasons H. congolanum is treated here as a synonym of H. acuminatum. Notes. The material cited above bears male flowers only or is sterile. It is likely that Haplocoelumgabonicum is dioecious like the other species of the genus.