Ancistrocladus tanzaniensis
Ancistrocladus tanzaniensis in Kew Bull. 55: 207, f. 1. 2000 sec. Taylor & al. 20051
- Type: Tanzania. Iringa Region: Iringa Dist. [Iringa Rural Dist.], Uzungwa [Udzungwa] Scarp Forest Re-serve, 8°21'S, 35°58'E, 1100 m, 15 Dec. 1997, C. Frimodt-M0ller, H. Ndangalasi & Jøker s.n. in TZ-537 (holotype, K not seen; isotypes, C not seen, DSM).
Notes
Cheek et al. (2000) noted accurately that this species is poorly known. They reported its altitudinal distribution as 900-1500 m, but listed voucher specimens only from 1100-1500 m, and the label data on the specimens examined indicated an altitudinal range of 1100-1310 m. In any case, as they also noted, the elevational range of Ancistrocladus tanzaniensis is unusually high among the African species of the genus. Cheek et al. (2000: 208) described the fruits of this species as "falsely inferior," but their reason for this is not clear. This same description was given by Leonard (1984, 1986) for the fruits of Ancistrocladus robertsoniorum because the ovary of that species is only partially inferior in flower while the fruit appears to be fully inferior due to subsequent upward growth of its accrescent calyx tube. The situation may be similar in A. tanzaniensis, but Cheek et al. (2000) reported that they were not able to study flowers or buds. The ovary of A. tanzaniensis appears to be fully inferior in the flower buds studied. Cheek et al. (2000: 210) separated Ancistrocladus tanzaniensis from the Kenyan species A. robertsoniorum by its leaf pits "so dense and conspicuously black in the Kenyan species (seen in every specimen at Kew) as to be visible with the naked eye whereas in the Tanzanian species only a few pits are present near the stem on the lower surface of the leaf (sometimes a few very thinly scattered over the leaf), and can only be detected with difficulty with a lens." They refer here to the small pits ("each containing a glandular hair"), which are densely distributed on the leaves of both species. With more specimens now available there appears to be more variation than they observed in the density and distribution of these small pits in A. tanzaniensis; in general these pits are more evident in younger leaves, and their degree of wax filling seems to be correlated with leaf age. The distribution and appearance of the large pits are also similar in the leaves of these two species.
Habitat
Wet evergreen forest of Udzungwa Mountains, south-central Tanzania, at 1100-1310 m [900-1500 m, Cheek et al., 2000].
Conservation
With an EO of less than 5000 km2 and occurring only in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Tanzania, out-side of which its habitat is threatened (Critical Eco-system Partnership Fund, 2003), and already listed as potentially threatened (Gereau & Luke, 2003): Endangered (Blab); Cheek (2000: 875) proposed a status of Endangered (EN Ale).
Description
Juvenile plants unknown. Juvenile leaves unknown. Adult stems climbing to 25 m high, to 13 mm diam. [possibly becoming larger but no data], not twining, sparingly branched, with bark purplish brown, smooth to roughened, bearing scattered leaves and lateral branchlets to 30 cm long, these each bearing 1 to several hooks and usually a ter-minal cluster of leaves; hooks recurved to shortly spiraling, 5-15 mm diam. Adult leaves drying chartaceous, on both surfaces rather shiny, in life not seen though reportedly pink when flushing, drying discolorous, dark green above, yellow-green below; pits dimorphic, small pits sparse on both surfaces and distributed largely along midrib and near margins and apices, large pits 0.2-0.8 mm diam., circular, scattered on both surfaces; midrib adaxially plane or shallowly sulcate, abaxially prominent, terminating in a tiny gland; secondary veins promi-nulous on both surfaces; tertiary veins reticulated and prominulous on both surfaces; margins re volute to thinly so; stem leaves with persistence unknown, oblanceolate, 18.0-52.5 X 7.4-8.7 cm, L/W 2.4- 6.0, at apex obtuse, at base tapered and abruptly shortly rounded; secondary veins 10 to 19 pairs, with intramarginal vein not evident; leaves at branchlet apices with persistence unknown, oblan-ceolate to narrowly so, 9.0-38.5 X 2.5-8.5 cm, L/ W 4.0-5.8, at apex obtuse to rounded, at base cu-neate to acute and shortly abruptly rounded; secondary veins 10 to 18 pairs, with intramarginal vein situated 1-3 mm from margin. Inflorescence lax, paniculate, lateral among leaves at apices of branchlets, sometimes bearing hooks (e.g., C. Fri-modt-M0ller et al. s.n. in TZ-537, DSM), sometimes with bracteal leaves resembling reduced adult stem leaves (e.g., Mbago 1803, MO); peduncle 1.1-3.5 cm long; branched portion corymbiform, 3.5-8.0 X 6-11 cm, dichotomously branched; bracts triangu-lar to elliptic, 1.1-1.8 mm long, at apex acute to obtuse, entire or sometimes fimbriate, at base ob-tuse, abaxially with a discoid gland occupying V3- 2h of surface; pedicels 3.0-8.5 mm long. Flowers all pedicellate, seen in bud only; sepals 5(?), elliptic to suborbicular, rounded at apex, at base cuneate and shortly decurrent on ovary, yellow, apparently a little unequal, 2.5-3.5 mm long, ciliolate at apex, perhaps with 1 or 2 poorly defined glands on ab-axial surface near base; petals, stamens, styles, and stigmas not seen; ovary fully inferior, ca. 2 mm long. Fruit oblate; nut 10-12 X 9-12 mm, on sides longitudinally 5-crested with crests ca. 2 mm high, formed from decurrent margins of accrescent se-pals; persistent sepal limbs spreading, subcoria-ceous, spathulate to oblanceolate, unequal, larger 3 sepals 35-45 X 11-16 mm, smaller 2 sepals 22- 30 X 6-8 mm; pericarp drying brown, coriaceous; seed not seen.