Three New Species of Chassalia and Psychotria (Rubiaceae) From Central Africa

Abstract

Three new species of Rubiaceae from Central Africa are described and illustrated. Chassalia lutescens O.Lachenaud & D.J.Harris (widespread from Cameroon to Democratic Republic of Congo) is recognised inter alia by the T-shaped ventral furrow of the seeds and the orange-yellow discoloration of inflorescences in herbarium specimens. Psychotria nodiflora O.Lachenaud & D.J.Harris (Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville and Democratic Republic of Congo), belonging to Psychotria subgen. Psychotria sect. Involucratae, is unique among African species of the genus in having paired axillary inflorescences. Psychotria pteropus O.Lachenaud & D.J.Harris (Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo) belongs to Psychotria subgen. Tetramerae; it is closely related to P. leptophylla Hiern but differs in its narrow corolla tube and globose to ellipsoid fruits.

Phylogeny and generic limits in the sister tribes Psychotrieae and Palicoureeae (Rubiaceae): Evolution of schizocarps in Psychotria and origins of bacterial leaf nodules of the Malagasy species

“…Paraphyly of Chassalia -Chassalia is a paleotropical genus comprising about 140 species of shrubs and small trees, along with a few lianas, and epiphytes ( Bremekamp, 1962 ;Piesschaert et al, 1999a , b ;Lachenaud and Harris, 2010 ;Lachenaud et al, 2012;Govaerts et al, 2013 ). There are at least 10 new undescribed species in Madagascar alone, making the WIOR one of the centers of species diversity of Chassalia with about 50% of its species (60 in Madagascar, six on Mauritius, and two species each on Reunion and the Comores).…”

“…with ca. 140 species ( Bremekamp, 1962 ;Verdcourt, 1976Verdcourt, , 1983Piesschaert et al, 1999a , b ;Lachenaud and Harris, 2010 ;Lachenaud et al, 2012 ;Govaerts et al, 2013 ); the African Hymenocoleus Robbr. with 13 species ( Robbrecht, 1975( Robbrecht, , 1977; the pantropical Geophila D.Don with about 24 species (e.g., Bremekamp, 1963 ;Burger and Taylor, 1993 ;Dessein et al, 2011 ); and the pantropical Margaritopsis C.Wright (including the neotropical Chytropsia Bremek., the African Chazaliella E.M.A.Petit & Verdc., and the Fijian Readea Gillepsie) with about 80 species ( Andersson, 2002a ;Taylor, 2005 ;Barrabé et al, 2012 ).…”

A new, Critically Endangered species of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) from the coastal plain of the Republic of Congo

“…Among the new species published since 2010 are four species of Aframomum (Zingiberaceae, Harris and Wortley 2018), Baphia vili Cheek (Leguminosae, Cheek et al 2014), Campylospermum glaucifolium Biss. (Ochnaceae, Bissiengou 2013), Carpolobia gabonica Breteler (Polygalaceae, Breteler 2010), Chassalia lutescens O.Lachenaud and D.J.Harris (Rubiaceae, Lachenaud and Harris 2010), Craterispermum capitatum Taedoumg and De Block (Rubiaceae, Taedoumg et al 2017), two species of Gilbertiodendron (Leguminosae, van der Burgt et al 2015), Kalaharia schaijesii Bamps (Labiatae, Bamps 2013), Morinda mefou Cheek (Rubiaceae, Cheek et al 2011), Octoknema chailluensis Malécot and Gosline (Olacaceae, Gosline and Malécot 2012), Salacia arenicola Gosline (Celastraceae, Gosline et al 2014), and Vepris teva Cheek (Rutaceae, Langat et al 2021)…”

Chassalia magnificens sp. nov. and C. chrysoclada comb. nov. (Rubiaceae) from central Africa

“…Leon recognised 16 species of central African Chassalia , adopting for some of them a very broad species concept. Several species have been described or resurrected since (Cheek and Csiba 2000, Sonké et al 2006, Lachenaud and Harris 2010, Lachenaud and Jongkind 2010) and a number still await description, so we estimate the actual number to be around 30.…”