Inversodicraea adamesii G.Taylor

Tchouto, P. & Burgt, X. van der, 2017, A synoptic revision of Inversodicraea (Podostemaceae), Blumea 62 (2), pp. 125-156 : 141-142

20. Inversodicraea adamesii G.Taylor

Inversodicraea adamesii G. Taylor (1953) 69, f. 9; (1954) 127. — Ledermanniella adamesii (G.Taylor) C. Cusset (1974) 273; (1983) 388. — Type: Adames 177 (holotype K), Sierra Leone, Large Scarcies River, Kambia Bridge, fl., fr., 5 Dec. 1948.

Etymology. Named for Peter Adames (1914–), formerly of the FAO and

British Colonial Service, botanist and collector of the type specimen.

Distribution — Sierra Leone, Guinea. Habitat & Ecology — Moss-like herb on rocks in Scarcies and Seli Rivers seemingly with I. mortonii (Harris 10 and 12). Conservation — Inversodicraea adamesii is listed as Data Deficient by IUCN based on an assessment made in 2008 ( Diop 2010b). That assessment mistakenly includes Guinea-Bissau as part of the distribution of the species.At that time the current wave of hydroelectric projects were evidently not anticipated and/or unknown, since they were not mentioned among the threats. The species is known from four locations on as many rivers, on two of which, the Kolenté and Seli, multiple industrial projects, mainly hydroelectric, have been and are being, put in place that are disrupting the natural rhythm of water levels and in the case of the Seli, the water quality (iron and gold mining projects). Using the 1 km 2 cell size favoured by IUCN for riverine species allows an area of occupancy of 4 km 2. Therefore we assess the species as EN B2 ab(iii), that is, Endangered.

Additional specimens. GUINEA, dans le lit de la Kolenté River , st., 30 Dec. 1938, J. Chillou 1039 (P00179246 image) . – SIERRA LEONE, Kambia , Mag- bema, Large Scarcies River , fl., 29 Dec. 1951, H.D. Jordan 754 (K); Rapids 200 m upstream of road bridge across river Seli (Rokel) N8°59' W11°48', Magburaka-Makeni Rd, fr., 17 Nov. 1981, Harris 10 (P00179247 image); Rapids 4.2 km downstream of Mano on the Taia river, N8°01' W12°07', fl., fr., 21 Nov. 1981, Harris 15 (P00179248 image) .

Notes — In his protologue Taylor (1953) cites Espiritos Santos 2760 (K) from Guinea-Bissau, as paratype. Cusset (1983) states that this specimen is certainly not this species because there are eight equal capsule ridges not six. This view is supported here. Cusset concludes that a precise identification of that specimen is not possible because the state of the specimen is too advanced.

No additional specimens of this species have been seen in at least 30 years, despite targeted collecting of Podostemaceae in 2009–2016 in Sierra Leone by Xander van der Burgt and colleagues including Aiah Lebbie and Josef Momoh, mainly in the Seli River.

Inversodicraea adamesii has close morphological affinities with I. kamerunensis and I. thollonii of Cameroon and Gabon. It is distinct inter alia in the absence of commissural ribs.