Dracaena glomerata Baker

Damen, T. H. J., Burg, W. J. van der, Wiland-Szymańska, J. & Sosef, M. S. M., 2018, Taxonomic novelties in African Dracaena (Dracaenaceae), Blumea 63 (1), pp. 31-53 : 37

9. Dracaena glomerata Baker — Map 9

Dracaena glomerata Baker (1874) 166. — Type: Mann 1630 (holo K ( K000255925 ); iso K ( K000255926 ), P), Equatorial Guinea, Corsico Bay , Iloby Island, Aug. 1862.

Dracaena buettneri Engl. (1892) 478. — Type: Büttner 537 (holo B (B_10_ 0160843)), Gabon, Wald bei Sibange, Sept. 1884, syn. nov.

Dracaena gabonica Hua (1897) 669. — Lectotype (designated here): Soyaux 98 (lecto P ( P00487007 ); isolecto K ( K000255923 )), Gabon, in ditione Munda , Sibange-Farm, 16 July 1880, syn. nov.

Dracaena soyauxiana Baker (1901) 857. — Lectotype (designated here): Soyaux 158 (lecto Z (Z-000075491)), Gabon, in ditione Munda, Sibange-Farm, 13 Nov. 1880, syn. nov.

Distribution — Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Re- public of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Notes — Dracaena buettneri , D. gabonica and D. soyauxiana represent the same species collected at the same locality ( Gabon, Sibang area) in different stages of growth, respec- tively. with young inflorescence, at anthesis and fruiting. They all represent a form with a spicate inflorescence, while the other extreme of the variable inflorescence shape, a short and branched inflorescence, is represented by the type specimen of D. glomerata . Since all intermediate inflorescence forms can be found (Damen, pers. obs.), we do not recognise them as distinct taxa.

The protologue of D. gabonica mentions two collections: Soyaux 98 and Klaine 104; the Soyaux specimen at P with both leaves and an inflorescence is most suited to serve as the lectotype. The protologue of D. soyauxiana cites Soyaux 158 as the type and states ‘Ad D. ellipticum Thunb. , accedit’ [close to Dracaena elliptica Thunb. & Dalm. ]. However, at K, where we first expected to find the holotype, Soyaux 158 represents a Combretaceae ( Combretum platypterum (Welw.) Hutch. & Dalziel ). The original label gives ‘ Cacoucia paniculata Laws. ’, which is a synonym of that species. Baker, publishing his new species in the Bulletin de l’Herbier Boissier, probably saw the sheet at Z, where Soyaux 158 indeed represents this taxon, though the label also carries the Combretaceae name. Obvi- ously some mixture of labels and/or plants has taken place. Even more confusing is that at K the label of Soyaux 98, the isotype of D. gabonica , carries the remark ‘n.sp.? near elliptica’. It might thus even be that Baker actually intended to assign Soyaux 98 as the type.

Map 9 Distribution of Dracaena glomerata Baker. Plate 2 Iconotype Dracaena goldieana Bullen ex Mast.& T.Moore from Bull (1877), Retail list, No 129: t. VIII.