Trichoscypha engong Engl. & Brehmer, 1917

Breteler, F. J., 2004, The genus Trichoscypha (Anacardiaceae) in Lower Guinea and Congolia: A synoptic revision, Adansonia (3) 26 (1), pp. 97-127 : 109-111

6. Trichoscypha engong Engl. & Brehmer

Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 324 (1917), as T. eugong . — Type: Mildbraed 5391, Cameroun Lomie area, ♀ fl. May 1911 (holo-, B, delet.; lecto-, HBG!, designated here, isolecto-, BR!). Trichoscypha tessmannii Engl. & Brehmer, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 54: 316 (1917). — Type: Tessmann 77, Equatorial Guinea, Nkolentanga, Ƌ fl. Dec. 1907 (holo-, B, delet.; lecto-, K!, designated here). Trichoscypha spp. Wilks & Issembé, Arbres Guinée Équatoriale: 96 (2000). See Notes.

Tree with large crown, up to at least 35 m tall, trunk 1 m dbh. Leaves crowded at the end of the branches, up to c. 12-jugate. Leaflets papery to coriaceous, subopposite, ovate-elliptic to oblong, rarely obovate, (11-)16-20(-25) × 6-9 cm, broadly rounded at base, acutely acuminate, glabrous above except for the ± puberulous, impressed midrib, sparsely puberulous beneath, often more densely so on the midrib and the (11-) 13-20 pairs of main lateral nerves, or almost glabrous. Inflorescences borne on the thicker branches well below the leaves, more rarely on the upper part of the trunk, with large bracts subtending the main branches, ferruginous. Flowers (May, Dec.) shortly pedicellate, red. Fruits pink to red, dull, glabrous, c. 4 cm long, edible (see Notes). — Figs 1E ; 4.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION. — Primary or old secondary rain forest of Cameroun, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Alt. up to c. 800 m.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — CAMEROUN: Mildbraed 5391, Lomié region, fl. May (BR!, HBG!). — EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Tessmann 77, Nkolentanga, fl. Dec. (K!); Wilks 3517, Alen Mt., ster. Apr. (BRLU!, WAG!); Wilks 3519, Moka, fl. May (BRLU!, WAG!). — GABON: F.J. & B.J.M. Breteler 15551, Kouamé on Assok Rd., ster. Aug. (LBV, WAG!); Breteler et al. 15709, IRET near Makokou, ster. Mar. (LBV, WAG!); Corbet 1017 SRF, Kougouleu, ster. Dec. (P!); J.M. & B. Reitsma 1230, Oveng, ster. June (LBV, WAG!).

NOTES. — Trichoscypha engong was originally published as T. eugong . The epithet is based on the vernacular name “engong”, which was mentioned by MILDBRAED, the collector of the type, of which the duplicate at Hamburg is here designated lectotype, the holotype at Berlin having been destroyed. Either by misreading by the authors ENGLER & BREHMER (1917) or by misprinting “engong” became “eugong”. MILDBRAED himself (1922: 77) referred to this error in saying: “Der Bulu-Name is engong nicht eugong”. Also WILKS & ISSEMBÉ (2000) refer to this species by its vernacular name “ engong ”, which is also used in northern Gabon (Breteler c.s. 15551 and Corbet 1017 SRF). The name “engong” is also mentioned by ENGLER & BREHMER (1917) when they published T. tessmannii . Because the holotype at Berlin was destroyed, the isotype of this specific name at Kew has been designated lectotype.

According to Mildbread 5391 and WILKS & ISSEMBÉ (2000: 96), the fruits are edible.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Flowers of Trichoscypha species, one petal removed: A, T. acuminata Engl.; B, T. arborea (A. Chev.) A. Chev.; C, T. bijuga Engl.; D, T. bracteata Breteler; E, T. engong Engl. & Brehmer; F, T. hallei Breteler; G, T. imbricata Engl.; H, T. laxiflora Engl.; I, T. lucens Oliv. A1, Breteler 15670; A2, Sosef et al. 516; A3, Breteler 15680; B1, Van der Burg 766; B2, J.J. de Wilde 311; C1, Stoop-van de Kasteele 210; C2, Beentje 889; D, Walker s.n.; E1, Mildbraed 5391; E2, Wilks 3519; F, N. Hallé 2822; G1, Breteler et al. 14477; G2, Breteler et al. 14491; H1, Bos 4981; H2, Van Andel et al. 3959; I1, de Koning 3909; I2, Beentje 875. Drawing by H. DE VRIES.

FIG. 4. — Distribution of Trichoscypha species 2, 4-9, 12.