Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, Author: MARTIN CHEEK AND LAURENCE DORR
Names
Melhania latibracteolata Dorr [family STERCULIACEAE], sp. nov. M. kelleri Schinz affinis sed segmentis epicalycis saltem 5 mm latioribus quam longioribus et sepalis pilosis omnino notabilis. Typus: Ethiopia, Sidamo, Melca Guba, at the Dawa Parma River, Friis, Mesfin & Vollesen 2971 (K!, holo.)
“Melhania sp. = Friis et al. 2971” [family ], [in Vollesen in Fl. Eth. 2(2): 176 (1995)]
Melhania denhamii [family STERCULIACEAE], [sensu Thulin, Fl. Som. 2: 27 (1999) pro parte, non R.Br.]
Information
Suffrutescent herb or small shrub to 0.4 m tall; erect, branches dense, ascending; young stems lanate, the hairs whitish, long-armed stellate or tufted-stellate, glabrous in age. Leaves ovate to elliptic, 1.5–7.5 cm long, 0.9–3.2 cm wide, apex rounded to emarginate, margin shallowly and distantly dentate to crenate, base rounded to cuneate, larger leaves occasionally with 2–4 shallow lateral lobes, upper surface very densely cinereous to whitish-tomentose when young, becoming sparsely tomentose, paler greyish-green tomentose below, the hairs stellate; palmately 3–5-nerved from the base; petiole 0.5–3.2 cm long, apex ± pulvinate, whitish tomentose, the hairs tufted-stellate; stipules filiform to subulate, 4–8 mm long, reddish-brown, sparsely pubescent. Inflorescences 2–5-flowered cymes (appearing subumbellate); peduncle 0.5–1.5 cm long, ± 0.5 mm wide; pedicels 2–5 mm long, ± filiform; peduncle and pedicels tomentose with tufted-stellate hairs; epicalyx bracts very broadly ovate to widely reniform, 5–7 mm long, 8–12 mm wide (in flower), tomentose, accrescent, 10–11(–15) mm long, 15–20(–30) mm wide (in fruit), apex rounded to very shortly acute, basal sinus shallow, the basal lobes rounded, never overlapping, sparsely tomentose, especially toward the base, membranous. Floral buds obscured by the epicalyx bracts. Sepals narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 5–7 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, accrescent, becoming membranous in fruit, pilose without, glabrous within. Petals obovate, asymmetrical, 4–5 mm long, 3.5–4 mm wide, (pale) yellow. Staminal tube ± 1 mm long, free portion of filaments ± 1.5 long, anthers ± 0.5 mm long, free portion of staminodes 2–2.5 mm long, glabrous. Ovary globose to ovoid, 3.5–4 mm long, 3–3.5 mm in diameter, velutinous; 3 ovules per locule; style 0.5–1 mm long, glabrous; stigma lobes ± 1.5 mm long, erect to ascending. Capsules depressed globose to ovoid, 3–4.5 mm long, 4–5 mm in diameter, stellate-pubescent to velutinous; 1–2 seeds per locule; seed ovoid, ± trigonal, flattened on one side, with an umbonate projection, 2–2.5 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, testa smooth, without an elaisome. Fig. 14/7–9, p. 85.
Distribution
KENYA Northern Frontier District 43 km on the Wajir–El Wak road, 29 Apr. 1978, Gilbert & Thulin 1166! & 48 km on the Ramu–El Wak road, May 1978, Gilbert & Thulin 1597!KENYA Della [Dela], 23 June 1951, Kirrika 70!
Notes
CONSERVATION This species is here rated as VU B2a, b(iii), that is vulnerable to extinction being known from 10 sites or less (ten are known), with an area of occupancy of less than 20,000 km2 and with reduction of habitat quality in at least part of its range (see regardingK1 under Hermannia pseudathiensis). Similar to M. kelleri Schinz except that the epicalyx bracts are at least 5 mm wider than long and the sepals are pilose all over. The flowers are said to open in the evening (Gilbert & Thulin 1597).