Barleria cinerea Champl., 2011

Dominique Champluvier, 2011, New and overlooked Acanthaceae taxa from D. R. Congo, Rwanda and Burundi: (1) the genus Barleria, Plant Ecology and Evolution 144 (1), pp. 82-95 : 94

Barleria cinerea Champl. sp. nov.

Barleriae grandis Nees proxima sed propter inflorescentias valde foliosas, calycis lobos lanceolatos cuspidatosque nec elliptico-oblongos et corollam duplo parviorem bene differt.

– Type: D.R.Congo, District du Haut-Katanga, Kiubo , 1956, Duvigneaud 2754 (holo-: BRLU; iso-: BR) .

Suffrutescent plant probably up to 1 m high. Stems glabrous. Lamina of the leaves ovate, glaucous, 5–12 × 2–5 cm, attenuate at the base, acute at the tip, glabrous when mature, grey tomentose when young; petiole up to 2.5 cm long. Inflorescence foliose; leaves of inflorescence much smaller than those of the stem; axis pubescent-tomentose; flowers solitary, axillary in the upper nodes, bracteoles linear, 15 × 2 mm; calyx lobes lanceolate, cuspidate, the posterior 18 × 4 mm, the anterior one similar but a little smaller and usually bifid at the tip, the lateral ones 10 × 1 mm; corolla slightly puberulent outside, probably pink or white, 4.2 cm long; tube cylindrical, 13 mm long, 12 mm wide at the throat; the two upper median lobes 18 × 7 mm, the two upper lateral 20 × 10 mm, the lower median one 20 × 12 mm; fertile stamens two, filament 24 mm long, anther 4 mm long, staminodes three, 2 mm long; style 32 mm long. Capsule pyriform, flattened, long-beaked, light brown, 14 mm long, two-seeded. Seeds cream, elliptic, 8 mm long, covered with curled tufted hairs.

Distribution – Species from the Zambezian centre of endemism, only known from the type. Fig. 4 .

Habitat – Not given.

Figures

Figure 4 – Distribution map of Barleria glutinosa, B. molensis, B. cinerea and B. obtecta.