Dracaena haemanthoides Bos ex Damen, 2018

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 : 37-39

11. Dracaena haemanthoides Bos ex Damen , sp. nov. — Fig. 2; Plate 3; Map 11

Dracaena haemanthoides is similar to the West African Dracaena adamii Hepper ; both are found on streambanks and share the same phyllotaxis and inflorescence type. Dracaena haemanthoides is easily distinguished, however, because its flowers are almost 2 times as long as those of D. adamii while the corolla lobes are much shorter than the tube. Furthermore, the peduncle is smooth, not scabrid as in D. adamii . — Type: Veldhuizen, J van 982 (holo WAG [WAG.1153971 (sheet 1), WAG.1153970 (sheet 2), WAG0116648 (spirit)],culta, in greenhouse at Wageningen, The Netherlands (No. 1972PT00634 ex Leeuwenberg, AJM 10334, 16 Sept. 1972, 14 km E of Kumba, 28 km W of Loum., N4°41’ E9°31'), 26 Jan. 1984.

Map 10 Distribution of Dracaena goldieana Bullen ex Mast. & T.Moore.

Etymology. Bos did already recognise this species as distinct and pro- visionally named it D. haemanthoides on his identification slips (fide Bos 10828), probably because it resembles the growth habit and capitate flowers of some species of Haemanthus .

Shrub, single-stemmed or occasionally acaulescent, up to c. 50 cm high; stem unbranched, erect, up to c. 20 cm long, densely leafy towards the top, greenish. Leaves alternate, equitant; pseudopetiole broadly winged, gradually extending into a sheathing base, clasping the stem for slightly more than its circumference; lamina oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic in smaller specimens, up to 80 by 12 cm, thickly coriaceous, glossy dark green above, pale green or occasionally dark purple with midrib prominent for c. 3/4 of its length beneath, base gradually tapering, apex acuminate, subulate, mucro up to 3 mm long. Inflorescence terminal, erect, up to 18 cm long; peduncle smooth, purplish green, base with cuspidate transitional leaves, merging into purplish green cymbiform bracts of up to 16 by 10 mm which subtend the closely packed glomerules containing well over 10 flowers each, forming a subcapitate inflorescence. Flower: pedicel 1–2 mm long, persistent basal part to 1.5 mm long; perianth creamy white, 51–59 mm long, tube longitudinally striped, pink-purple on the outside, lobes reflexed, c. 11 by 3 mm, apex obtuse with minute mucro, out- side greenish white, inside white; stamens inserted near the throat, up to 1 mm shorter than the lobes, filaments filiform, white, anthers c. 1.5 mm long, pale yellow; ovary ovoid, 3 by

d

Fig. 2 Dracaena haemanthoides Bos ex Damen. a. Habit; b. upper part of leaf; c. dissected flower; d. infructescence; e. seed (a: culta Hort. Bot. Wageningen n° 1972PT00634; b: Van Setten 1061 ; c: Van Setten 991; d: Van Veldhuizen 1539 ; e: Van Veldhuizen 982). — Drawing by Kinga Berdysz.

Plate 3 Dracaena haemanthoides Bos ex Damen , habit and inflorescence; culta greenhouse WAG nº 1984PTCB057A. — Photo: JJ Bos.

2 mm; style filiform, to 2 mm exserted, white; stigma capitate, 3-lobed, 1 mm diam. Fruits broadly ellipsoid, c. 18 by 21 mm, orange to yellow, receptacle to 3 mm long. Seeds broadly ellipsoid, shallowly bilobed, 8 by 12 mm, smooth.

Distribution — Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea.

Ecology — Creek banks in forest, on flat loamy banks of shallow forest streamlet; at 25–450 m altitude. Flowering period unknown, but in cultivation in The Netherlands, it flowered in January and February.

Other specimens examined. CAMEROON, South, 12 km from Kribi , S . of Lolodorf road, towards Kienke river , c. N2°59' E9°59', 9 July 1970, Bos, JJ 7065 ( WAG) ; South-West, 14 km E of Kumba, 28 km W of Loum., N4°41' E9°31', 16 Sept. 1972, Leeuwenberg, AJM 10334 ( BR, MO, P, WAG, YA); culta, in greenhouse Wageningen, The Netherlands, No. 1972PT00634 (leg. Leeuwenberg 10334), Aug. 1983, Hort Bot Wageningen s.n. ( WAG, WAGspirit); ibid., 19 July 1984, Setten, K van 845 ( WAG, WAG-spirit); ibid., 17 Feb.1992, Setten , K van 1061 ( WAG);ibid., Veldhuizen , J van 1355 ( WAG); ibid., 5 Aug. 1997, Veldhuizen , J van 1539 (WAG, WAG-spirit). – EQUATORIAL GUINEA, Bioko, Fernando Po , c. N3°30' E8°42', July 1860, Mann , G 8 A ( K [ K000321374 ]) . – GABON, Woleu-Ntem, c. 75 km E of Chantier SEF of Leroy-Abanga , at the end of concession road, c. N0°50' E11°10', 10 July 1985, Bos, JJ 10571 ( LBV, WAG); culta, in greenhouse Wageningen, The Netherlands, No. 85 PTGA220 , leg. Bos. JJ 10570 [1]; ibid., 24 Jan. 1985, Bos, JJ 10828 ( WAG).– UNKNOWN, Berggarten, Herrenhausen,sine loco, 21 Feb. 1905, Hort Bot Herrenhausen s.n. ( K) .