Diospyros korupensis sp. nov. and Diospyros onanae sp. nov. (Ebenaceae) from Cameroon

Diospyros korupensis Gosline is described as a new species endemic to the Korup National Park in Cameroon and neighbouring areas on the slopes of Mt Cameroon. Diospyros onanae Gosline is described as a new species from the South and Southwest Regions of Cameroon allied to the poorly known D. soyauxii Gürke & K. Schum. ex. Gürke.     

Enigmatic morphology of Djinga felicis (Podostemaceae – Podostemoideae), a badly known endemic from northwestern Cameroon

Djinga is a monotypic genus restricted to the Cameroon Ridge (‘Dorsale Camerounaise’) of NW Cameroon. Besides the type locality Mount Djinga (Adamawa Province, near Tignère), it also grows in waterfalls near Mount Oku (NW Province). This paper describes the structure and development of Djinga felicis using scanning electron microscopy and microtome sections. Cusset's protologue is enriched considerably. Roots are green, dorsiventrally flattened and adherent to submerged rocks. They are broad ribbons or crusts (up to 1 cm broad) which branch exogenously. Root‐borne shoots (up to 17 cm) have filamentous leaves with sheaths and (occasionally) attached stipules. Flowers are borne as part of reproductive short shoots which arise exogenously along the stems and endogenously along the roots. Djinga shows non‐axillary stem branching. Reproductive shoots along the main stem usually stay short. They arise from the abaxial side of double‐sheathed leaves, a key innovation of Podostemoideae. These short shoots shift into pocket‐like stem positions clearly below their associated leaves. Each flower bud inside a spathella is erect, but with an inclined ovary. The flowers are unistaminate with a broad connective. Unlike many other Podostemoideae, the tricolpate pollen grains are arranged in both dyads and monads. The ovary is globular and unilocular. The mature 8‐ribbed capsule dehisces by two slightly unequal valves, releasing 40–50 seeds. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 160 , 64–81.     

Psychotria elephantina sp. nov. (Rubiaceae) an endangered rainforest shrub from Cameroon

Psychotria elephantina Lachenaud & Cheek is described as a new species. It is placed in P. sect. Involucratae (Petit) Verdc., endemic to the South West Region of Cameroon and is assessed as ‘Endangered’ (EN) using the IUCN criteria. The species is distinctive in P. sect. Involucratae due to its long petioles (6.5–12.0 cm), involucres of two pairs of large free bracts and green corollas with included stamens in both longistylous and brevistylous flowers.     

Psychotria monensis sp. nov (Rubiaceae), a tree species from Cameroon

Psychotria monensis Cheek & Séné (Rubiaceae) from lowland evergreen forest in western Cameroon is described and illustrated. Its conservation status is assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ according to the IUCN criteria, and its taxonomic affinities are discussed.     

Rhus neoglutinosa sp. nov. (Anacardiaceae) and Teclea borenensis sp. nov. (Rutaceae) from Ethiopia.

Two new species, Rhus neoglutinosa M. Gilbert (Anacardiaceae) and Teclea borenensis M. Gilbert (Rutaceae) are described in preparation for the forthcoming Flora of Ethiopia.     

Coffeatoshii sp. nov. (Rubiaceae) from Madagascar

A new species of Coffea from southern central Madagascar, C. toshii, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to C. buxifolia but differs due to its short, broad spreading habit (vs narrow habit), conspicuous domatia (vs inconspicuous), consistently red fruit (vs reddish purple to dull purple or red), longer fruiting pedicel (vs shorter), presence of bracts (vs absence) and occurrence at lower elevations (vs high elevation).     

Zingiberanamalayanum sp. nov. (Zingiberaceae) from India

Zingiber anamalayanum (Zingiberaceae), a new species from the southern western Ghats, India is described and illustrated. A phenetic analyses to assess the similarity indices and the uniqueness of the new species have been performed. A diagnostic key to Zingiber spp. in south India is provided.     

Hypericum scruglii sp. nov. (Guttiferae) from Sardinia

A new species of Hypericum (Guttiferae) from Sardinia, H. scruglii, is described and illustrated. It occurs on damp soil, near springs or streams with freshwater, where it grows with numerous hygrophytes. This diploid species (2n=16) belongs to the sect. Adenosepalum and is closely related to H. tomentosum, a species widespread in the west Mediterranean region.     

Vangueriopsis shimbaensis sp. nov. (Rubiaceae) from Kenya

A new species of Vangueriopsis from Kenya, V. shimbaensis, is described and illustrated. Notes on distribution, phenology and conservation are provided.     

Cheirostylis seidenfadeniana sp. nov. (Orchidaceae) from India

Cheirostylis seidenfadeniana is described from Kerala in India. The new species appears to be related to C. parvifolia and shares some characteristics with C. thailandica and C. montana , but differs in floral characters.     

Celastrus obovatifolius sp. nov. (Celastraceae) from China

A new bittersweet species, Celastrus obovatifolius X. Y. Mu & Z. X. Zhang (Celastraceae) is described from China. It is morphologically most similar to C. orbiculatus Thunb., but differs in having lamellate pith, obovate leaves, flower stalk with an articulation in its upper half, and terminal and axillary inflorescences. This is the first study using scanning electron microscope (SEM) to study the seed micromorphology of Celastrus L., which can provide valuable characters for species identification in the genus.     

Lysimachia huchimingii sp. nov. (Primulaceae) from China

A new species of Lysimachia (Primulaceae), L. huchimingii G. Hao & H. F. Yan from China is described and illustrated. It is morphologically compared to its most closely related species in Lysimachia subgen. Lysimachia sect. Nummularia ser. Paridiformes.     

Phyllanthus brunelii sp.nov. (Euphorbiaceae) from Thailand

Phyllanthus brunelii Roux, a new shrubby species from Thailand is described. P. brunelii has apparently until now been confused with P. reticulatus Poir. Its pollen structure suggests affinities between the subgenera Kirganelia (A. Juss.) Webster and Gomphidium (Baill.) Webster.     

Limonium cedrorum sp. nov. (Plumbaginaceae) from Lebanon

Limonium cedrorum Domina & Ramondo, a new species belonging to the L. palmare aggr., is described and illustrated from the inland near Becharre (Lebanon). Its relationships with morphologically close taxa are discussed. Limonium cedrorum differs from L. sieberi and L. postii mainly by looser inflorescences and larger flowers. It differs from L. galilaeum by longer outer bract and longer scale below the first inflorescence branch, few sterile branches, thicker base of the inflorescence and denser spikes, and from L. graecum by the shape of the inflorescence, longer basal internodes and the shape of the calyx.     

Onosma maculata sp. nov. (Boraginaceae) from Iran

Onosma maculata Ranjbar & Almasi, a new Boraginaceae species endemic to Iran, is described and illustrated. The new species belongs to Onosma sect. Onosma subsect. Onosma. It is closely related to O. nervosa Riedl, but is easily distinguished by its spotted stem and peduncle (vs no spots), leaves 14–23 cm long (vs leaves 4–12 cm long), pedicel 5–15 mm long (vs pedicel 3–5 mm long), higher density of hairs, and glabrous nutlet (vs villous). Moreover, meiotic chromosome number and behavior were studied in two populations of the new species and it was found to be diploid with 2n = 2x = 16.     

Raphiocarpus tamdaoensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Vietnam

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Raphiocarpus tamdaoensis V. X. Phuong, D. T. Xuyen & Y. G. Wei, is described and illustrated from Vietnam. It is similar to R. asper (Drake) B. L. Burtt and R. evrardii (Pellegr.) B. L. Burtt, but is easily differentiated by leaf blades being ovate–elliptic or obovate, 4–10 × 1.5–3.5 cm, one cyme with only one flower, peduncle linear, 3.0–5.0 cm long, corolla light yellow, 3.0–4.5 cm long, and a pubescent ovary.     

Pternopetalum arunachalense sp. nov. (Apiaceae) from India

Pternopetalum arunachalense M. Bhaumik & P. Satyanar. is a new species from Arunachal Pradesh in India and is described and illustrated here. This new species is similar to P. trichomanifolium (Franch.) Hand.‐Mazz. by highly dissected, ternate 2–4‐pinnate leaves, ultimate segments linear and erect elongate styles but differs by generally smaller habit and scabrid mericarps with 1–2 vittae in each furrow and commissure.