<i>Memecylon trunciflorum</i> sp. nov. (Melastomataceae–Olisbeoideae) from the Udzungwa Mountains, southern Tanzania
27 January 2015
Stone, RobertDescribed and illustrated is Memecylon trunciflorum R. D. Stone, an evidently localized endemic of the Udzungwa Mountains in southern Tanzania. The new species was previously confused with the vegetatively similar but distantly related M. erythranthum Gilg and M. semseii A. Fern. & R. Fern., from which it is distinguished by its anther connectives bearing a dorsal oil-gland and by its ellipsoid to obovoid fruits (vs anther connective gland absent and fruits globose in M. erythranthum and M. semseii). The new species is placed in M. sect. Magnifoliata R. D. Stone together with M. magnifoliatum A. Fern. & R. Fern., from which it differs by its smaller leaves mostly 9.5–15 cm long × 3.5–6 cm wide (vs 18–35 cm long × 8–13 cm wide), transverse veins 8–18 pairs (vs 25–28 pairs), short-pedunculate inflorescences with secondary axes well developed (vs peduncles and secondary axes absent), white flowers (vs bluish purple), and smaller fruits mostly 11.5–14.5 × 9–11 mm on longer fruiting pedicels 8–13.5 mm (vs fruits 17–20 × 12–14 mm on pedicels 5–7.5 mm). Despite its local endemism, Memecylon trunciflorum has been assessed as ‘Least Concern’ according to IUCN criteria, although this assessment is dependent on the continued safeguarding of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park.