Sunday, March 26, 2017

[Botany • 2017] Aframomum ngamikkense • A New Species of Aframomum (Zingiberaceae) from D.R. Congo


Aframomum ngamikkense  Eb.Fisch., Kirunda, Ewango, M.E.Leal & Plumptre

in Fischer, Kirunda, Ewango, ... et Plumptre, 2017.

Abstract
Aframomum ngamikkense, a new species from the Misotshi-Kabogo Massif in the Albertine Rift, Eastern D.R. Congo, is described and illustrated. It differs from the superficially similar A. pseudostipulare in the shorter and obtuse ligules up to 5 mm long (vs. acute and up to 10 mm long), and the indistinctly 3-lobed apex of the stamen (vs. distinctly 3-lobed).

Keywords: Aframomum ngamikkense, Aframomum pseudostipulare, Albertine Rift, Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, endemics, Monocots

Figure 2. Aframomum ngamikkense.
A-B , habit; C, flower, frontal view.
Photograph: A. Plumptre, of the type specimen (B. Kirunda 32).


Scientists from WCS have discovered a new species of wild ginger, spicing up a wave of recent wildlife discoveries in the Kabobo Massif -- a rugged, mountainous region in Democratic Republic of Congo. 


Aframomum ngamikkense Eb.Fisch., Kirunda, Ewango, M.E.Leal & Plumptre, spec. nov. (Fig. 1, 2) 

Differt ab Afromomo pseudostipulare ligulis brevioribus obtusisque usque ad 5 mm longis (ligulae acutae et usque ad 10 mm longae in A. pseudostipulare) et apice staminae indistincte trilobata (apex distincte trilobata in A. pseudostipulare).
 The new species differs from Aframomum pseudostipulare in the shorter and obtuse ligules up to 5 mm long (acute and up to 10 mm long in A. pseudostipulare) and the indistinctly 3-lobed apex of the stamen (distinctly 3-lobed in A. pseudostipulare). 

Type:— D.R.CONGO. Katanga Province, Kizamba area on the trail to to top of Kankamana Hill, 1570 m, .... (holotype NHN!; isotypes BR!, MHU!, LWI!). 


Etymology:— The new species is named after the proposed Ngamikka National Park in the Misotshi-Kabogo Massif. This includes the mountains Nganja, Misotshi, Kabogo and Kabili (Plumptre et al. 2010). 

Distribution:— Primary montane forest at elevations of 1500–2000 m, growing in large gregarious patches under closed canopy, mainly on slopes, in riverine vegetation, and on hill tops. ...



Eberhard Fischer, Ben Kirunda, Corneille Ewango, Miguel Leal, Deo Kujirakwinja, Arcel Bamba and Andrew J. Plumptre. 2017. A New Species of Aframomum (Zingiberaceae) from D.R. Congo. Phytotaxa.  298(3);  277–282. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.298.3.7


Discovery of new ginger species spices up African wildlife surveys phy.so/409491267 via @physorg_com