Berlinia immaculata Mackinder & Wieringa

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident

Mackinder, B. & Wieringa, J. (2007). Novitates Gabonenses 58: Two New Species of Berlinia (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae: Detarieae). Kew Bulletin, 62(1), 159-164. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20443330

Type

Gabon: Jongkind 5828 (holotypus WAG!; isotypus LBV).

Morphology General Habit

Tree 12 - 40 m; dbh 60 cm (for tree of 20 - 25 m) and 80 cm (for tree of 40 m); bark flakey, pale brown-grey, c. 4 mm deep on 20-'25 m high tree, slash fibrous, pale orange-brown when dry

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules (in seedling van der Burgt 81) in pairs, c. 17 x 1 mm, sparsely to moderately pubescent, fused for c. 3/4 of their length, falling early, leaving an intrapetiolar collar-like rim, not seen with mature foliage

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, paripinnate; petioles 17- 28 mm long (to 84 mm in saplings)3, the indumentum sparse along the leaf rachis and on the pulvinules, indumentum not visible at x10 magnification, rachises 6.6 - 8.7 cm long (to 20 cm in saplings); petiolules 6 - 7 mm long; leaflets in 3 opposite pairs (4 - 5 in saplings), narrowly-elliptic to elliptic (obovate in saplings), slightly falcate, discolorous, coriaceous, (chartaceous in saplings), glabrous above, appearing glabrous below at x10 magnification, but puberulous at higher magnifications, more densely so in the lower half and along the mid-vein and secondary veins, mid-vein sunken above but prominent below, finely ribbed, secondary venation in 5 - 9 pairs, tertiary venation visible above, visible and slightly raised below, apex acute or shortly acuminate (long acuminate, acumen 18 - 24 mm in saplings), base acute, cuneate or rounded in lower pair; upper leaflet pair largest, 12.8 - 17.0 x 4 - 5.6 cm; lower leaflet pair smallest, 2.8 - 11.4 x 1.4 - 5 cm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Infructescences

Infructescence a robust erect axillary raceme, axes glabrous; peduncle and rachis at least 4.7 cm long (apex of rachis senescent and falling), single pod occupies a (false) apical position, remnant of distal portion of inflorescence present; fruiting pedicel 1.5 cm long x c. 11 mm in diam. Pod oblong, laterally compressed, pods 19.5 - 36.2 x 7- 12.8 cm, brown to very dark brown, glossy while still attached to tree, with dull and glossy patches on rotting pods from forest floor, glabrous save a few scattered hairs barely visible at x10 magnification, valve surface conspicuously rugulose (remaining evident on decomposing pods from forest floor); upper suture 6 - 9 mm wide; seeds 6, 3 - 5 aborted, mature seeds discoid, 4.4 - 5.6 cm long, 4.1 - 5.6 cm wide, 8 - 10 mm thick, uniformly dull mid-brown, testa flaking

Seedling

Seedling germination epigeal, hypocotyl not developed; cotyledons fleshy, c. 5 - 5.5 x 3 - 3.5 x 0.2 - 0.3 mm thick (when dried), opening at ground level.

Distribution

Africa: Cameroon and Gabon.

Ecology

Lowland forest; 1 - 150 m, but possibly reaching 500 in altitude in the Crystal Mountains

Conservation

Vulnerable (VU:D2). Berlinia immaculata is assessed here as Vulnerable under the criteria of IUCN (2001). This species is known from only six localities, the most northerly of which (Mt Elephant) is unprotected. However, this taxon has been collected over a north-south range spanning 600 km and some intermediate localities from which no gatherings have yet been made, are of suitable habitat. Should a concerted effort be mounted to locate more individuals, it is quite probable they would be found, after which a reassessment of the conservation status would be needed.

Note

Immaculata referring to the immaculate conception, an allusion to the fact that the species is known from six individuals all which have borne fruit, in the absence (so far) of any evidence of flowers.