Coccinia keayana R.Fern., Bol. Soc. Brot. ser. 2, 33: 191. 1959.

Holstein, Norbert, 2015, Monograph of Coccinia (Cucurbitaceae), PhytoKeys 54, pp. 1-166 : 85-87

9. Coccinia keayana R.Fern., Bol. Soc. Brot. ser. 2, 33: 191. 1959.

Coccinia keayana Type: Guinea-Bissau. Tombali: region Cacine, rainforest, fl, Aug 1933, J.V.G. do Espírito Santo 603 (Holotype: COI).

Coccinia keayana Type: ibid., J.V.G. do Espírito Santo 631 (Paratypes: LISC [LISC 011640, digital image: IICT, JPS], LISC! [LISC 011641, digital image: IICT, JPS], LISC [LISC 011642, digital image: IICT, JPS], LISJC).

Coccinia keayana Type: Guinea-Bissau. Tombali: between Cacine and Guileje, plantation, 1 Aug 1945, J.V.G. do Espírito Santo 2151 (Paratypes: COI, LISC [LISC 002508, digital image: IICT, JPS], LISC! [LISC 002509, digital image: IICT, JPS]).

Coccinia keayana Type: Liberia. [Margibi County]: Firestone plantation, at Du River, 29 Jul 1926, D.H. Linder 121 (Paratype: K!).

Coccinia keayana Type: Sierra Leone. Jigaya, c. 350 m, 28 Sep 1914, W. Thomas 2844 (Paratype: K!).

Coccinia keayana Type: Sierra Leone. [Northern Province]: Bumban National Park, 30 Aug 1928, F.C. Deighton 1221 (Paratype: K!).

Coccinia keayana Type: Sierra Leone. [Southern Province]: Moyamba District, Moyamba, 25 Aug 1931, F.C. Deighton 2217 (Paratype: K!).

Coccinia sp. A Keay, Fl. W. Trop. Afr. 1: 216. 1954.

Description.

Perennial? climber. Stem up to 5 m, glabrous. Petiole 1.5-5 cm, with short, few-cellular trichomes on adaxial side, glabrous on abaxial side. Leaves 5-11 × 3.5-11 cm, (shallowly to) profoundly 3-(or 5-)lobate, auriculate, rarely long cordate. Margin rather remotely dentate to slightly serrate. Lobe apex acute or subacute with final tooth. Upper leaf surface tiny hyaline pustulate. Lower leaf surface with blackish glands, dried often with bluish-green tinge, glabrous or rarely with soft multicellular trichomes on nerves. Probracts up to 3 mm. Tendrils simple. Male flowers ebracteate, in lax racemes with up to 20 flowers, sometimes accompanied by a solitary flower (Fig. 32). Common peduncle up to 1.7 cm, shorter than racemous part, glabrous. Pedicels of racemous flowers up to 1 cm, pedicels of solitary flowers up to 1.5 cm long, each glabrous. Perianth tube glabrous. Calyx lobes linear, 2.5-3 mm, in buds spreading, later reflexed. Corolla 1.7-2 cm long, white, yellow, dirty orange, salmon to dull pinkish. Corolla lobes 3-5 mm long. Filament column and anther head not seen, pollen sacs pink-orange. Female flowers solitary or in few-flowered lax racemes. Common peduncle 1.2-2.1 cm, glabrous. Pedicel flowers in racemes up to 1 cm, glabrous, pedicels of solitary flowers up to 2.7 cm, glabrous. Hypanthium glabrous, calyx lobes and corolla as in male flowers. Ovary glabrous. Style and stigma not seen. Fruits 2-3 × 2 cm, subglobose to globose, un ripe glaucous green, ripening via yellow to pinkish [rather glaucous?] red. Seeds 4.5 × 2.5 ×? mm (L/W/H), rather symmetrically obovate, face flatly lenticular.

Phenology.

Flowering time: March to November.

Distribution.

Fig. 31. Tropical West Africa: Guinea-Bissau (Tombali), Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea ( Nzérékoré), S Ivory Coast, S Ghana, S Togo? Elevation sea level to 1250 m. On sandy soil, lateritic soils. Tropical rainforest, in high trees, high bushes, on roadsides.

Vernacular names.

Cf. Koranko: nala (W. Thomas 2844), Limba: ngolibwe (W. Thomas 2844), Mende: ndogbo-gojai (F.C. Deighton 2217), Temne: efosa (W. Thomas 2844).

Remarks.

The long racemes with ebracteate flowers and the linear, reflexed calyx lobes are good characters for this species. It is barely distinguishable from Coccinia barteri without flowers. Coccinia keayana collections often have a bluish green tinge and the lobes conspicuously point forwards (see Fig. 32), which might only rarely occur in Coccinia barteri . The corolla is rather tubular, sometimes somewhat inflated.

Taxonomic remarks.

The name Coccinia keayana R.Fern. is misapplied for the Flora of Cameroon or western Central Africa in general (for details, see taxonomical remarks of Coccinia barteri ).

Specimens examined.

(Selection; in total: 33) Ghana. Eastern Region: Asiakwa district, Atewa Range Forest Reserve, Accra-Kumasi highway 5-6 km along forest road that intersects the highway at Sagyimase village, 6°13'48"N, 0°32'42"W, M. Merello et al. 1179 (MO). Volta: Amedzofe, J.B. Hall GC40053 (P [P05620653]). Western Region: Bia National Park, J.B. Hall & J.M. Lock GC46493 (WAG [WAG0046501]). Guinea. Nzérékoré: Nzérékoré Préfecture, [WSW of] Nzérékoré, 7°43'35.54"N, 8°51'21.28"W, E. Achigan-Dako 07 NIA 917 (GAT). Guinea-Bissau. Tombali: Bedanda sector, Cantanhez, J. Alves Pereira 3172 (H, LISC). Ivory Coast. Lacs: Oroumba Boca [Orombo Bocca Mt.], H.C.D. de Wit 5772 (WAG [WAG0234139], WAG [WAG0234140]). Lagunes: Abidjan, Banco Forest Reserve, W.J.J.O. de Wilde 893 (BR, EA, WAG [WAG0044624], WAG [WAG0044625], Z). Liberia. Bong: 3 miles NE of Suacoco, Z.D. Traub 256 (BR, G, MO). Nimba: Yéképa, Mt Nimba, J.-G. Adam 21232 (MO, P [P00694038/P05590407], P [P05620652], PRE).