Talbotiella bakossiensis Cheek

Mackinder, B.A., Wieringa, J.J. & van der Burgt, X.M. 2010. A revision of the genus Talbotiella Baker f. (Caesalpinioideae: Leguminosae). Kew Bulletin 65: 401. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-010-9217-0

Type

Cameroon, South West Province, BakossiMts, Mwanzum to Kodmin between hut 1 and 2, 18 Nov. 1998, Cheek 9688 (holotypus K; isotypi P, WAG, YA).

Morphology General Habit

Tree to c. 20 m, dbh up to 40 cm; bole weakly 5-fluted (Cheek 10382), base with small buttresses; bark slightly rough, covered in mosses; outer slash thick with dark outer line, dull orange, granular-sandy; inner slash pale orange-yellow, fibrous; crown dense

Morphology Twigs

Twigs moderately to densely pubescent, hairs 0.5 - 1 mm long

Morphology General Buds

Bud scales 5 - 10, caducous, distichous, brown, coriaceous, not keeled, outer and inner surface glabrous, proximal scale orbicular, c. 1.5 mm diam., distal scales becoming progressively longer and relatively narrower, apical scale obovate, 12 x 8 mm, leafy, not keeled, pubescent along midrib

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules (seen in young foliage), in pairs, free, auriculate at base, the auricle suborbicular with 2 - 6 acute triangular lobes, up to 0.2 mm long, glabrous on both surfaces but margins ciliate, upper part of stipule narrowly lanceolate, 8 - 17 x 1.5 - 2 mm; outer surface densely pubescent along the midrib, veins sparsely pubescent, margins ciliate, inner surface glabrous, apex acute

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, paripinnate, 7.5 - 13 x 1.9 - 3.5 cm; petiole 1 - 2 mm; leaf rachis 6.1 - 11.5 cm long, moderately pubescent, a tuft of longer hairs where leaflets are inserted; leaflets sessile, in 21 - 26 pairs [18 - 21 pairs in saplings], upper and middle pairs opposite, lower 3 - 5 pairs subopposite; 12 - 24 x 2- 4.5 mm [18 - 22 x 4 - 6 mm in saplings], narrowly oblong, base asymmetric, proximal margin tapering towards the apex, glabrous above, lower surface appearing glabrous with a hand lens but moderately appressed puberulous under a microscope, fringing hairs 0.5 - 0.75 mm long, present particularly on the lower margins on young leaflets but scattered or absent on mature foliage, midvein central, prominent above and below for most of its length, becoming obscure just before the apex, small glands 1 - 2 (- 3), not visible with a hand lens but visible under a microscope, present on the distal half of the lower surface, positioned about midway between midvein and margin, always present on basal pair, present or absent on middle pairs, not seen on uppermost pair

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence at least a 7-flowered raceme (only a partial inflorescence seen), axis of partial inflorescence c. 3 cm long, with a moderate to dense indumentum of golden patent hairs, c. 0.6 - 1.5 mm long; floral bracts slightly spathulate, 6 - 10 x 1- 3 mm, outer surface densely appressed tomentose, inner surface glabrous, persistent; pedicels with moderately spreading hairs 0.3 - 0.5 mm long; portion of pedicel below bracteoles 2 - 4 mm long; bracteoles subopposite to opposite, narrowly oblong, c. 5 x 1.2 - 1.5 mm, tapering towards the apex in upper third, mostly glabrous but with margins ciliate at least in the lower half and along the basal part of the midvein, a tuft of hairs at the apex; portion of pedicels above bracteoles c. 2 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium

Hypanthium narrowly campanulate, 1 - 1.5 mm deep, puberulous at the mouth, otherwise glabrous on both surfaces

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 4, white, subequal, cucullate, 5 - 7 x 2.5 - 3 mm, glabrous on both surfaces except for scattered marginal pubescence on upper third with tuft of hairs 0.2 - 0.3 mm long at the rounded apex, sessile

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 8, filaments free, 7 - 9 mm long, glabrous, anthers elliptic, c. 1.2 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary c. 2.3 - 2.7 x 1.1 - 1.5 mm, densely golden to red-brown tomentose, on a glabrous stipe 1.5 - 2 mm long, fused near the apex of the hypanthium, free part of stipe very short, ovules 2, style c. 3 - 4 mm long, moderately to densely pubescent for most of its length, becoming glabrous just before the stigma, stigma capitate

Morphology Reproductive morphology

Pod, seed and seedling unknown

Distribution

Cameroon, Southwest Province.

Ecology

Submontane forest; 850 - 1800 m.

Conservation

This species is assessed here as Critically Endangered (CR D) in accordance with the criteria of IUCN (2001) because less than 50 mature trees have been found and from only three localities, namely Ngomboku, Mwanzum, and Dikome-Balue.

Note

Named for the Bakossi Mountains, one of the two areas in Cameroon where the species was collected and the area where the type was found.