Ancistrocladus congolensis
Ancistrocladus congolensis in Bull. Soc. Roy. Bot. Belgique 82: 33, f. 1D–G. 1949 sec. Taylor & al. 20051
- Holotype: Orientale Prov.: Forestier Central, Yafunga sur Zaire, pres d'Isangi, 8 Sep. 1938, /. Louis 11171 (holotype, BR; isotypes, BM, BR, K, P ).
Notes
This species is similar to Ancistrocladus ealaensis, and at least one specimen included in that other species by Leonard (1949) is here treated as A. congolensis. In general, plants with leaves that are notably acuminate and/or with leaves that are distinctly broadest well above the middle are here treated in A. ealaensis rather than A. congolensis. Leonard described Ancistrocladus congolensis as stipulate and illustrated (1949: fig. ID) a portion of a young stem. This figure shows some structures that are presumably leaf bases along with the purported stipules, figured as small flaps of tissue irregularly distributed along this stem. In this figure some of these leaf bases arise from above the pur-ported stipules, while other leaf bases lack these flap-like structures. Otherwise stipules have not been seen in this species, even on well-preserved stem apices, nor do any of the specimens studied bear stipule scars (e.g., Louis 16349, BR), and the structures illustrated by Leonard were not seen on the specimen cited in the figure (Louis 16776, BR). However, Leonard did study these plants in the field and presumably had evidence for his state-ment that this species is stipulate. Leonard (1949, 1982) described and illustrated galled flowers and fruits of this species, which are found occasionally on herbarium specimens. These galls are similar in form to those of Ancistrocladus ealaensis but apparently much less frequent.
Distribution (General)
Northern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of the Congo to Gabon.
Conservation
With an EO greater than 20,000 km2 and existing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo: Least Concern; Cheek (2000: 876) also proposed a status of Lower Risk, Least Concern (LR/lc).
Description
Juvenile plants unknown. Juvenile leaves un-known. Adult stems climbing to 20 m tall, to 5 cm diam., with bark smooth to shallowly longitudinally fissured, gray-brown to purple-brown or brown, bearing scattered leaves and lateral branchlets to 15 cm long, these each bearing 1 to several hooks and a terminal group of leaves; hooks recurved to spiraling, 6-17 mm diam. Adult leaves drying subcoriaceous to coriaceous, on both surfaces dull or a little shiny, in life not seen, drying concolorous and dark brown or usually a little discolorous, dark brown above and reddish brown below; pits dimorphic, small pits sparsely to rather densely distributed on both surfaces, large pits 0.2-0.4 mm diam., circular, occasional and scattered on both surfaces; midrib adaxially plane to shallowly sulcate, abaxially prominent, usually terminating in a tiny gland; secondary veins prominulous on both surfaces; tertiary veins reticulated and prominulous on both surfaces; margins plane to thinly revolute; stem leaves with persistence unknown, elliptic to broadly elliptic, 9.2-18.0 X 4.8-8.5 cm, L/W 1.8-1.9, at apex obtuse to rounded or truncate, at base cuneate to obtuse; secondary veins 6 or 7 pairs, with intra-marginal vein situated 2-5 mm from margin; leaves at branchlet apices with persistence unknown, el-liptic to elliptic-oblong or broadly elliptic, 7.0-27.8 X 3.0-10.1 cm, L/W 2.0-3.4, at apex obtuse to subacute or rounded to truncate and sometimes abruptly acuminate with the deltoid acumen to 5 mm long, at base acute to obtuse; secondary veins 4 to 14 pairs, with intramarginal vein situated 2-5 mm from margin. Inflorescence lax, paniculate, lateral among leaves on branchlets, without hooks, occasionally bearing bracteal leaves similar to adult stem leaves (e.g., Halle & Le Thomas 287, P); peduncle 3- 8[- 9, Leonard, 1949] cm long, rather stout; branched portion corymbiform, 4.0-5. 5[-14, Leonard, 1949] X 5.5-12.0[-13, Leonard, 1949] cm, dichotomously branched, axes sometimes rather stout; bracts ovate to triangular or lanceolate, 0.5-2.0 mm long, at apex acute to obtuse, at base obtuse, denticulate or short-erose [to entire, Leonard, 1949], abaxially eglandular or larger bracts with a gland covering Y3-2/3o f surface; pedicels 1.5-4.0 mm long. Flowers all pedicellate; sepals 5, oblong to obovate, rounded and entire to denticulate or ciliolate at apex, obtuse to rounded at base, pale green, abaxially with 1 to 3 small compressed marginate glands, adaxially apparently papillate but without pits, subequal, [3.0-, Leonard, 1949]5.0-6.0 X 2.0-3.0 mm; petals 5, imbricate to sometimes convolute (Germain 5049, BR) or rarely intermediate (Leonard 1513, BR), obovate [to broadly ovate, Leonard, 1949], yellow, ca. 4.0 X 3.0-3.5 mm; stamens 10 apparently in 1 whorl; filaments apparently equal, ca. 1.5 mm long; anthers ca. 0.5 mm long; ovary partially inferior, inferior portion ca. 2 mm long, superior portion ca. 0.5 mm high; styles 3, ca. 1.5 mm long, red-brown, stigmas red, size unknown. Fruit turbinate; nut 8-15 X 10- 20 mm, on sides longitudinally 5- to 7-ridged by decurrent margins of accrescent sepals, these usually uniting below top of nut; persistent sepal limbs spreading, woody to stiffly chartaceous with texture thinning toward apex, spathulate to oblong, subequal to somewhat unequal, 5-10 X 3-4 mm but apex often breaking off; pericarp orange drying dark brown, woody to corky; seed 6-7 mm diam.