Coccinia longicarpa Jongkind, Blumea 49: 83. 2004.

Holstein, Norbert, 2015, Monograph of Coccinia (Cucurbitaceae), PhytoKeys 54, pp. 1-166 : 87-88

10. Coccinia longicarpa Jongkind, Blumea 49: 83. 2004.

Coccinia longicarpa Type: Ivory Coast. Lagunes: Forêt du Banco, S of Arboretum, near river, male and female, fr, 20 Jul 1973, J. de Koning 1965 (Holotype: WAG! [WAG0099441, digital image: JPS], isotype: K! [K000035540, digital image: K]).

Coccinia longicarpa Type: Ivory Coast. Lagunes: Forêt du Banco, Route Martineau, secondary forest, 10 Oct 1974, J. de Koning 4077 (Paratype: WAG! [WAG0099430]).

Coccinia longicarpa Type: Ivory Coast. Lagunes: Forêt du Banco, near swampy secondary forest, 8 Aug 1975, J. de Koning 5904 (Paratypes: K [K000035541], MO!, WAG! [WAG0099438, digital image: JPS]).

Coccinia longicarpa Type: Ivory Coast. Lagunes: Forêt du Banco, N of center, near Banco river, in forest clearing on clear spot, 16 Jun 1975, W.J. van der Burg 551 (Paratype: WAG! [WAG0062627]).

Coccinia longicarpa Type: Ivory Coast. Lagunes: near Abidjan, 6 Sep 1967, C. Geerling & J. Bokdam 829 (Paratypes: WAG! [WAG0011282], WAG! [WAG0011283]).

Coccinia longicarpa Type: Ivory Coast. Lagunes: [W of Abidjan], Adiopodomé [ Adiopo-Doumé], margin of bush pathway, 3 Aug 1956, J.J.F.E. de Wilde 183 (Paratypes: WAG! [WAG0044616], WAG! [WAG0044617], WAG! [WAG0044618], WAG! [WAG0044619]).

Coccinia longicarpa Type: Ghana. Eastern Region: near Kibi, Atewa Range Forest Reserve, Jun 1976, J.M. Lock GC 43991 (Paratype: K).

Coccinia longicarpa Type: Liberia. Gbapolu/Lofa: Gbanga, Sep 1926, D.H. Linder 576 (Paratype: K).

Coccinia longicarpa Type: Ghana. Nsuta, no detailed location, 1500 ft, May 1929, C. Vigne 1735 (Paratypes: K, P!).

Coccinia sp. A C.Jeffrey, Key to the Cucurbitaceae of West Tropical Africa. J. W. African Sci. Assoc. 9: 87 p.p., 1964.

Coccinia sp. B Keay, Fl. W. Trop. Afr. 1(1): 216 p.p., 1954. Nigeria. [Ogun]: Ijebu-Ode District, toward the head of extraction Rd. from Grace Camp [in Omo Forest Reserve] westwards toward the R. Omo [Shasha], about 1.5 mls from the Grace Camp, 2 May 1946, S. Tamajong FHI 16938 (K!); D.H. Linder 576 (K); C. Vigne 1735 (K, P!).

Coccinia sp. D Keay, Fl. W. Trop. Afr. 1(1): 216 p.p., 1954. Nigeria. [Oyo]: Lagos [Colony], Ibadan forest, 1 Dec 1900, C. Punch 46 (K!).

Description.

Perennial climber. Stems up to 5 m, glabrous. Petiole 0.9-4.5 cm, glabrous. Leaves 7-12 cm × 2.5-11 cm, 5-angularly subcordate, subhastate, rarely 3-lobate, auriculate. Lobes elliptical. Margin suspiciously dentate, whitish in living state, blackening when dried. Apex acute with final tooth. Upper leaf surface pale to white pustulate. Lower leaf surface glabrous, nerves often white-speckled. Probracts <1 mm, often missing. Tendrils simple, rarely bifid. Male flowers ebracteate, in glabrous racemes, occasionally accompanied a solitary flower. Common peduncle 0.7-1.5 cm, pedicel of flowers in raceme 2.5-8 mm, pedicel of solitary flower 5-10 mm. Perianth tube glabrous, calyx lobes 2-3 mm long, (0.75-)1.2-1.8 mm broad at base, erect. Corolla 0.8-1.5 cm long, yellow to (pale) orange, sometimes with greenish nerves. Corolla lobes up to 2 mm long. Filament column and anther head not seen, pollen sacs yellow to orange. Female flower solitary. Petiole 1.5-2.2 cm, glabrous. Hypanthium glabrous, calyx lobes and corolla not seen, but likely as in male plants. Ovary glabrous. Style and stigmas not seen. Fruit up to 20 cm long, c. 1 cm in diam., long cylindrical, unripe waxy green, ripe unknown. Seed size and shape unknown, face flat.

Phenology.

Flowering time: May-December.

Distribution.

Fig. 31. Tropical West Africa: SW Ivory Coast, S Ghana, SE Benin, SW Nigeria. Elevation sea level to 460 m. Soil preference not known. In primary or secondary forests, in disturbed places (roadsides, near rivers).

Remarks.

The broad calyx lobes are, apart from the long cylindrical fruit, the best character for identifying this species. An urceolate corolla ( Jongkind 2004) also occurs in Coccinia barteri .

A single collection (H.J. Beentje 602 from M) mentions a lilac corolla color, which would be unique in Coccinia . Although this might be possible, since there are also pinkish flowers reported in Coccinia adoensis , the fact that the WAG duplicate with the same collection number is a Ruthalicia makes it more likely that the observation is due to a mixed collection, eventually from a Convolvulaceae .

Specimens examined.

(Selection; in total: 24) Benin. Plateau: Pobe, 6°57'52.56"N, 2°40'19.70"E, E. Achigan-Dako 07 NIA 731 (GAT). Ghana. Ashanti: Bobiri Forest Reserve, 6°41'N, 1°21'W, C.C.H. Jongkind 3970 (WAG [WAG0023747], WAG [WAG0023748]). Central Region: Twifo/Hemang/Lower Denkyira District, Kakum, 5°20'54.31"N, 1°23'1.39"W, E. Achigan-Dako 07 NIA 734 (GAT). Eastern Region: Atewa Range Forest Reserve, 06°15'N, 00°33'W, C.C.H. Jongkind et al. 1538 (MO, WAG [WAG0020265]). Western Region: Jomoro District, Fawoman, 5°19'32.63"N, 2°43'28.13"W, E. Achigan-Dako 06 NIA 050 (GAT); ibid., E. Achigan-Dako 06 NIA 051 (GAT). Ivory Coast. Lagunes: Abidjan. Banco Forest Reserve, J.J. Wieringa 5386 (WAG [WAG015997]). Sud-Comoé: Aboisso, 5 km NNW of Nganda-Nganda [Forest Reserve], near lagoon Aghien [lagune Aby?, because lagune Aguien is NE of Abidjan], 5°14'N, 3°20'W, H.J. Beentje 602 (M, but not WAG). Nigeria. Ogun: Ijebu-Ode District, Omo Forest Reserve, Compartment 8, J.R. Charter FHI 38635 (K).