Benthamia monophylla Schltr.
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.5252/adansonia2025v47a11 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039B87AB-FFE3-FFDF-20D9-F7E72DE7C6BE |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Benthamia monophylla Schltr. |
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Benthamia monophylla Schltr. View in CoL
( Figs 76 View FIG ; 77 View FIG )
Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis 33: 30 ( Schlechter 1924).
TYPE MATERIAL. — Madagascar • Haute Matsiatra, massif d’Andringitra; alt. 2200-2600 m; III.1922; H. Perrier 14387; holotype: P [ P00094540 ]!; isotype: P [ P00094541 ] !.
ETYMOLOGY. — “ Monophylla ”, in Greek with a single leaf.
PHENOLOGY. — January to April.
DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — Madagascar. A high elevation plant, from 1600 to 2600 m, found in the southern half of the country, mostly from Andringitra massif (Haute Matsiatra region) to Andohahela in the south (Anosy region), in humid mountain grasslands or small patches of vegetation on rocks ( Fig. 78 View FIG ).
CONSERVATION. — This species has a large EOO and is locally abundant, but the AOO is probably less than 2000 km ². It was quoted NT by IUCN in 2016 (https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN. UK.2018-1.RLTS.T44393380A69785668.en).
ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Madagascar • Analamanga GoogleMaps , near Mandraka; 18°55’30”S, 47°56’20”E; XII.1905; C. d’Alleizette 7066b; L [ L1487725 ] ! • Haute Matsiatra GoogleMaps , pic Boby, Andringitra; 22°11’S, 46°53’E; 1946; A. M. Homolle 1192; P [ P02115319 , P02115320 ] ! • sine loc.; 1946; A. M. Homolle 1263; P [ P00692277 ] ! • sine loc.; 1946; A. M. Homolle 1277; P [ P00692278 ] !• Anosy GoogleMaps , massif de l’Andohahela; 24°36’S, 46°42’E; alt. 1800-1975 m; I.1934; H. Humbert 13608; P [ P0009454 , P00094543 , P00094544 ]!, G!, TAN ! • Haute Matsiatra GoogleMaps , canton Sendrisoa, district Ambalavao; 22°13’S, 46°55’E; 17. I.1958; C. Rakotovao 9938RN; P [ P00692318 , P00692461 ] ! • Haute Matsiatra , 30 km NW of Fianarantsoa; VIII.1963; W. Rauh 10613; HEID [ HEID2500341 About HEID ] !• Haute Matsiatra , pente du Vohidray, Andringitra; 13. I.1971; J. L. Guillaumet 3761; TAN ! • Anosy , massif de l’Andohahela, RN 11; I.1974; P. Morat 4389; P [ P00692454 , P00692455 ] ! • Haute Matsiatra , Andringitra reserve; 22˚10’ S, 46˚56’ E; alt. 1975 m; 13. I.1987; M. Nicoll 262; K [ K000453691 , K000453692 ]!, MO [ MO3022623 ]!, TAN ! • Haute Matsiatra , Andringitra, near to Pic Boby; II.2007; T. Ranarivelo et al. 484; K!, TAN ! • Haute Matsiatra , Andringitra; D. Roberts DLR119 & DLR120; K ! • Haute Matsiatra , Andringitra; D. Roberts DLR125; K [spirit 76706] !.
NOTES
Plants sometimes have two basal leaves (e.g. on Ambondrombe). The flowers have a lip that is very similar to the petals and are reminiscent of some Holothrix in South Africa. It can form huge colonies, e.g. on Andringitra. With its elongate spur, this species is not a typical Benthamia with a short spur like the type of the genus, Benthamia latisatis . Perhaps it belongs to a different genus.
The specimen H. Perrier 14387 has two sheets in P, but Perrier’s handwriting on specimen P00094540 clearly shows that it is the sheet sent to Berlin for the description by Schlechter, it is therefore the holotype.
See also: Schlechter (1930: t.11 n°42), Perrier (1939: 24), Perrier (1939: 30), Cribb & Hermans (2009: 42), Cribb & Hermans (2009: 46), Hervouet (2018: 169).
DESCRIPTION
Erect terrestrial herb, 15-50 cm tall. Tubers 2, oblong-fusiform. Stem 1-4 mm in diameter, with 2-3 sheaths at the base and one radical leaf. Leaf 1 (rarely 2), linear to oblong, 6-15 cm × 6-35 mm, a little narrowed towards the base, somewhat acute or shortly acuminate. Rachis 8-15 cm long, subdense, unilateral, bearing 35-60 flowers. Floral bracts lanceolate-acuminate, 1.5-7 × 0.8-2 mm, normally equalling the flower or sometimes a little longer. Ovary 4.5-6.8 × 0.9-1 mm. Flowers about 3 mm wide, yellow; sepals elliptic-oblong, obtuse, 1-veined, 1.5-3 × 0.8-1.3 mm, lateral sepals navicular, dorsal sepal concave; petals 1.3-3 × 0.9-1.5 mm, as long as the sepals but a little wider and fleshy, oblong, obtuse, 2-veined and a little thickened towards the apex; lip concave, oval-elliptic, 1.8-3.4 × 0.9-1.75 mm, obtuse, entire or obscurely trilobed, the base 3-veined, the anterior part thickened and fleshy; spur narrowly conical, gradually narrowing towards the apex, 1.4-3.5 × 0.4-0.8 mm, somewhat curved. Column 0.5-1.1 × 0.4-0.9 mm, anther subglobose, very obtuse; auricles oblong, subcrenulate, half the length of the anther.
| H |
University of Helsinki |
| P |
Museum National d' Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN) - Vascular Plants |
| C |
University of Copenhagen |
| L |
Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Leiden University branch |
| A |
Harvard University - Arnold Arboretum |
| M |
Botanische Staatssammlung München |
| I |
"Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University |
| G |
Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève |
| TAN |
Parc de Tsimbazaza |
| W |
Naturhistorisches Museum Wien |
| HEID |
University of Heidelberg |
| J |
University of the Witwatersrand |
| S |
Department of Botany, Swedish Museum of Natural History |
| E |
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh |
| K |
Royal Botanic Gardens |
| MO |
Missouri Botanical Garden |
| T |
Tavera, Department of Geology and Geophysics |
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.