Clusia falcata (Clusiaceae), an endangered species with exceptionally narrow leaves endemic to Chiapas, Mexico

SummaryClusia falcata (Clusiaceae), a new species from Chiapas, Mexico, is described and illustrated. This new taxon is distinctive for its leaves, among the narrowest of all known species, having lanceolate to oblong laminas that are mostly 10 – 15 × 2 – 2.5 cm. The flowers have a quadrangular perianth with succulent petals, and a non-resiniferous androecium and gynoecium. Staminate flowers have a quadrangular androphore bearing 18 – 24 short stamens. Pistillate flowers have 4 pairs of staminodia, with each pair born on an androphore. The species is endemic to montane forests of the Northern and Eastern highlands of Chiapas in Mexico and is currently considered to be endangered.

A Strobilanthes (Acanthaceae) miscellany

SummaryThis paper presents miscellaneous, previously unpublished results arising from the authors’ research into Strobilanthes. S. moylaniae J.R.I.Wood & Scotland from New Guinea and S. dengii J.R.I.Wood & Scotland from Sumatra are proposed as new species, while an unnamed species is described from Sumba Island in Indonesia in the hope that it might be rediscovered. A new subspecies, subsp. subovata J.R.I.Wood & Scotland is described for S. timorensis Nees, while attention is drawn to its plietesial flowering pattern. The new combinations S. benculensis (Bremek.) J.R.I.Wood & Scotland, S. wetarensis (Bremek.) J.R.I.Wood & Scotland, S. javanica (Bremek.) J.R.I.Wood & Scotland and S. serpens (Nees) J.R.I. Wood & Scotland are made. Typification is clarified and where appropriate lectotypes are designated for Hemigraphis hispidula Craib, Lepidagathis setigera Blume, Ruellia crispa L., R. sabiniana Lindl., Strobilanthes duclouxii Benoist, S. erecta C.B.Clarke, S. flava Kurz, S. forrestii Diels, S. scabra Nees, S. secunda T.Anderson and S. thomsonii T.Anderson.

The genus Tristachya (Poaceae: Panicoideae) in Madagascar

SummaryWe present a revision of the three species of Tristachya in Madagascar. The tussock-forming T. betsileensis is a rare endemic of the quartz outcrops in the Itremo Protected Area. The rhizomatous T. isalensis and T. humbertii are common components of the sandstone outcrop vegetation in the Isalo National Park. A new combination is made. Descriptions, conservation assessments, illustrations, and a distribution map are presented.

The endemic plant species of Mt Kupe, Cameroon with a new Critically Endangered cloud-forest tree species, Vepris zapfackii (Rutaceae)

SummaryWe revise and update the records of strict and near-endemic species of Mt Kupe, Cameroon respectively from 31 strict endemics in 2004, to 25 today, and with near-endemic species 30, unchanged in number but with turnover. The changes result from new collections, discoveries and taxonomic changes in the last 16 years. While 15 of the provisionally named putative endemic species have now been formally published, a further 18 have not. The majority of the 30 near-endemic species (18) are shared with the adjacent Bakossi Mts, far exceeding the numbers shared with the more distant Mt Etinde-Mt Cameroon, Rumpi Hills and Ebo forest areas (sharing three near-endemic species each with Mt Kupe). We test the hypothesis that a further one of the provisionally named putative Mt Kupe species, Vepris sp. 1 from submontane forest near the summit, is indeed new to science. We compare it morphologically with the two other bicarpellate high altitude Cameroon Highland tree species V. montisbambutensis Onana and V. bali Cheek, concluding that it is a new undescribed species here named as Vepris zapfackii. The new species is illustrated and its conservation status assessed as Critically Endangered using the 2012 IUCN standard, due to habitat clearance from agricultural pressures at its sole location which is unprotected. Vepris zapfackii and V. bali appear unique in African trifoliolate species of the genus in having opposite leaves. Vepris zapfackii differs in having hairy petiolules and midribs and petiolules with the blade decurrent distally, narrowing towards a winged-canaliculate base (vs glabrous and petiolule long, terete), and sparsely golden hairy pistillodes and a glabrous calyx (vs densely black hairy pistillodes, and sepals hairy).