3. Tragia mildbraediana Pax & K. Hoffm. (Pax and Hoffman 1919: 96)

Figs 3, 4 A

Type

CAMEROON – East Region • Molundu [Moloundou] am Dscha [by the Dja]; [2°02’46”N, 15°12’49”E]; 23 Nov. 1910; Mildbraed 3899; lectotype (designated here): HBG [HBG 515788] image .

Description

Twining perennial herb of unknown height; young and mature branches hispid with stinging hairs up to 1 mm long. Stipules triangular-lanceolate, 6–7.5 × 2.1 mm, acute, subglabrous externally, ciliate with hairs up to 1.5 mm long. Petioles (0.4 –) 1.2–2.7 cm long, hispid with stinging hairs up to 1 mm long; distally pulvinate. Leaf blade obovate to elliptic, (5.5 –) 8–11.5 × (2.8 –) 3.7–5.8 cm; rounded to slightly cordate at base, acuminate at apex, with acumen up to 0.5 cm, slightly dentate, upper surface sparsely hairy with stinging hairs up to 1 mm long, lower surface indumentum similar to that found on the upper surface but denser on veins, basal veins 3–5, secondary veins in 5–6 pairs. Inflorescences bisexual, up to 3.5 cm; peduncle up to 1.8 cm, hispid, with stinging hairs up to 0.5 mm long. Male segment up to 1.5 cm long; bracts obovate-lanceolate to obovate, apically sinuate or crenate, acute, sometimes irregularly dentate (2–3 teeth), 2.8 × 1.1 mm, sparsely hairy with short hairs, ciliate with hairs up to 0.5 mm long; without bracteoles. Female segment with 1 flower; bracts deeply trilobate with lobes ovate-lanceolate (longer one 4 × 1 mm long), sparsely hairy, ciliate (with hairs up to 0.5 mm long); bracteoles ovate-elliptic, 2 × 1.2 mm, sparsely hairy with scattered hairs externally, ciliate with short hairs up to 0.5 mm long. Male flower pedicel ca 2 mm long, slightly puberulous, with short hairs up to 0.1 mm long; buds ca 0.8 mm in diameter; calyx lobes 0.4 mm long, slightly puberulous, with minute hairs; stamens 3; filament ca 0.2 mm long; anthers 0.15 × 0.2 mm. Female flower sessile; calyx with 6 lobes, elliptic, with 1–2 teeth on each side, 2 × 1 mm, pubescent, with hairs ca 0.8 mm long; ovary 2 × 1 mm, densely hispid; styles 3.5–4 mm, connate until the middle, sparsely hairy. Fruits sessile, 5.5 × 8 mm, densely pubescent, with hairs up to 0.8 mm; calyx lobes lobulate, up to 6 mm long, with 1–3 teeth on each side, with laminula elliptic 2 (– 3) × 1 mm, slightly hardened in the central part, pubescent, with short hairs up to 0.8 mm long; columella 3 mm long. Seeds 3 mm in diameter, light brown with dark brown patches.

Distribution

Cameroon (Pax and Hoffmann 1919), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Republic of the Congo (Fig. 4 A).

Habitat and ecology

This species grows in open secondary forests at 5–680 m elevation.

Additional material examined

CAMEROON – East Region • 17 km N of Bertoua, along road to Deng Deng; [4°43’15”N, 13°37’10”E]; 680 m; 6 Jan. 1962; Breteler, de Wilde & Leeuwenberg 2417; BR [BR 0000016248816] image, WAG [WAG.1338866, WAG.1338868] images • 15 km E of Dimako; [4°20’43”N, 13°41’59”E]; 650 m; 13 Dec. 1965; Leeuwenberg 7328; BR [BR 0000016249080] image, WAG [WAG.1338864, WAG.1338865, WAG 0144378] images • A 4 Km au SSW de Koso (village situé à 60 Km au SSW de Batouri); [3°55’33”N, 14°09’01”E]; 29 Jul. 1963; Letouzey 5535; P [P 00346743] image .

EQUATORIAL GUINEA – Bioko Norte • Malabo, aeroporto, estrada km 6; 32 NMK 7014; 26 Sep. 1986; Carvalho 2510; MA [MA-716364] • Entre Malabo y el aeropuerto, junto al km 6 de la autopista; 32 NMK 6915; 7 Jul. 1986; Fernández Casas 10254; MA [MA-699764] .

GABON – Estuaire • Parc National de la Pongara, camp de Gabon Environnement, Pointe Ouingombé; 0°19.7’N, 9°19.2’E; 5 m; 20 Mar. 2007; Dauby 219; BRLU, LVB, MO . – Ogooué-Ivindo • Mwagna National Park and peripheric area, northeast of national park around the Mabekwe camp; 0°36’05”N, 13°49’52”E; 502 m; 19 Jan. 2018; Texier 1868; LVB, MO . – Woleu-Ntem • Mont Miwa, inselberg a 3 km du village de Kumassi, a 35 km d’Oyem vers Bitam; 1°50’N, 11°38’E; 680 m; 15 Apr. 2002; Parmentier 2563 bis; BRLU .

REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO – Bouenza • Loudima, bord de l’eau; [4°06’46”S, 13°04’44”E]; 1 Oct. 1950; Koechlin 1379; IEC [IEC 008051] . – Sangha • District de Ngbala, UFA Tala Tala, Forêt de Godha; [1°24’02”N, 15°20’07”E]; 433 m; 6 Aug. 2010; Nsongola 278; IEC [IEC 026530, IEC 026531] • District de Souanké, ca 52 km SW of Souanké along Garabinzam road, Bessié village (near ” Koulmélen ”); [1°56’N, 13°54’E]; 510 m; 9 Nov. 1991; Thomas 8810; WAG [WAG.1338875] image .

Notes

We have selected the specimen Mildbraed 3899 (HBG 515788) as the lectotype of Tragia mildbraediana because it was the only original material found.

Tragia mildbraediana is a relatively little-known species, newly reported here for Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of the Congo. After a preliminary revision of material from West Africa, we confirm that this species is not present in Ghana, Ivory Coast, or Liberia (Govaerts et al. 2000).

Tragia mildbraediana coexists with T. zenkeri, from which it can be distinguished by its obovate-lanceolate leaves of 9–11.5 × 3.7–5.8 cm (vs leaves elliptic, 4.2–8.4 × 2.3–3.8 cm), deeply trilobate female bracts, with ovate-lanceolate lobes, ca 3.5 mm long (vs female bracts subcuneate distally 3–4 - dentate until 1 / 3 of the length, ca 1.5 mm long), the styles connate to the middle, up to 4 mm long (vs styles connate at the base, up to 1 mm long), and calyx lobes up to 6 mm long in fruit, with laminula elliptic 2 (– 3) × 1 mm (vs calyx lobes ca 4 mm long in fruit, with laminula oblanceolate 1.5 (– 2) × 1 (– 1.5) mm).

Tragia mildbraediana is morphologically similar to T. sericea, but can be distinguished by its obovate-lanceolate leaves of 9–11.5 × 3.7–5.8 cm (vs elliptic-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 5–8 × 3–4.4 cm), deeply trilobate female bracts, with ovate-lanceolate lobes (vs bracts of the female flower obovate with entire margin), branches hispid with simple, subulate stinging hairs up to 1 mm long (vs. branches pubescent with minute retrorse, appressed hairs), and calyx lobes up to 6 mm long in fruit, with laminula elliptic 2 (– 3) × 1 mm (vs calyx lobes up to 2.5 mm long in fruit, with laminula lanceolate 1.3 × 1 mm).