Uvariopsis solheidii var. letestui (Pellegr.) Dagallier & Couvreur, comb. et stat. nov.

Figs 80H-O, 81

≡ Uvariopsis letestui Pellegr. syn. nov., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 95: 139 (1948). Type. Gabon - Ogooué-Lolo • G.M.P.C. Le Testu 8458 (holotype: P! (P00362609), sheet here designated; isotypes: BM! (BM000554079, BM000554080), P! (P00362607)), region de Lastoursville, Koulamotou; 1°07'S, 12°30'E; 20 Oct. 1930.

Description.

Male flowers with petals 5-7 mm long, ca. 3 mm wide, length:width ratio ca. 2, ovate, free, straight at anthesis. Female flowers with pedicel 30-110 mm long; petals 7.5-10 mm long, 4.5-7 mm wide, length:width ratio 1.3-1.8, ovate, free, straight at anthesis. Fruiting pedicel 30-110 mm long.

Distribution.

Endemic to Lower Guinean Domain of the Guineo-Congolian Region: Gabon.

Habitat and ecology.

Lowland to submontane mature rain forests. Altitude: 280-950 m asl.

Notes.

Up. solheidii var. letestui differs from the type variety in having slightly different flowers. The male flowers of Up. solheidii var. letestui have ovate petals 5-7 mm long, with a length:width ratio of ca. 2 (vs. ovate to narrowly ovate petals, 7-10 mm long with a length:width ratio of ca. 3). The female flowers of Up. solheidii var. letestui have generally smaller flower pedicels (30-110 mm long vs. 63-198 mm long), and ovate petals 7.5-10 mm long, with a length:width ratio between 1.3 and 1.8 (vs. ovate to narrowly ovate petals, 9-17 mm long with a length:width ratio between 1.8 and 3.6). Both male and female flowers of Up. solheidii var. letestui have straight petals at anthesis (vs. curved outward at anthesis in the type variety).

Additional specimens examined.

Gabon - Ngounié • T.O.B.E.B. Stévart 3993 (BR, LBV, MO, WAG), Birougou National Park, Massif du Chaillu, 40 km SE of Mbigou, 5.5 km E of Moukimbi village . MBG transect T59; 2°02'39'S, 12°14'01'E; alt. 780 m; 16 Feb. 2011 - Ogooué-Ivindo • J. Florence 1578 (P), Station d'Ipassa, 10 Km S de Makokou; 0°30'N, 12°47'E; alt. 500 m; 22 Jan. 1979 • N. Hallé 2975 (K, P, P), Bélinga; 1°05'N, 13°08'E; alt. 950 m; 03 Nov. 1964 • N. Hallé 3006 (P), Bélinga; 1°05'N, 13°08'E; 04 Nov. 1964 • N. Hallé 3029 (P), Bélinga; 1°05'N, 13°08'E; 05 Nov. 1964 • N. Hallé 3060 (P), Bélinga; 1°05'N, 13°08'E; 06 Nov. 1964 - Ogooué-Maritime • T.L.P. Couvreur 550 (MPU, YA), along road between Mandji and Rabi. About km 19 from Mandji; 1°46'05.10'S, 10°17'01.5'E; alt. 282 m; 08 Nov. 2013 .