Berlinia korupensis Mackinder & Burgt

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/103851066/112188846

Conservation

CR - critically endangered

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident

Mackinder, B.A. & van der Burgt, X.M. 2009. Berlinia korupensis (Leguminosae – Caesalpinioideae), a new tree species from Cameroon. Kew Bulletin 65: 129. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-009-9100-z

Type

Cameroon, SW Province, Korup National Park, NW Plot near P transect, van der Burgt 756 (holotypus WAG; isotypi BR, G, K, MO, P, SCA, YA).

Distribution

Africa: Cameroon

Conservation

Berlinia korupensis is assessed here as Critically Endangered (CR D) under the criteria of IUCN (2001). This species is known from only 17 individuals at a single location within a protected area.

Note

Named after Korup National Park within which all known individuals of this species are located. A striking feature of the flowers of van der Burgt 756 is the size of the lateral and abaxial petals which are neither as long as the well-developed adaxial petal (as is the case in Berlinia occidentalis Keay and B. bracteosa Benth.) nor very much shorter (as is the case in the majority of Berlinia species). In B. korupensis the abaxial and lateral petals are intermediate in size between these extremes. B. razzifera is the only other species in the genus that possesses the intermediate petal form.

Morphology General Habit

Tree up to 42 m tall; dbh up to 88 cm; crown a half sphere up to 30 – 35 m diam.; bole straight, buttresses 20 – 30 cm thick, up to c. 1.5 m high and extending out to c. 0.7 m, bark whitish light brown, smooth but sometimes flaky, with flakes detaching in groups to leave shallow scars, in a more or less concentric pattern

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules not seen, falling early but base leaving an intrapetiolar rim

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, paripinnate, petioles 2.3 – 5.3 cm long, rachises 1.8 – 13.2 cm long, sparsely to moderately puberulous, the indumentum just visible at ×10 magnification; petiolules 6 – 10 mm long; leaflets in 2 – 4 pairs, occasionally only one of a pair of leaflets developing; the upper pair opposite, the lower pairs opposite or subopposite, narrowly ovate, narrowly elliptic or narrowly obovate, slightly falcate, concolorous, drying dull green, 8.3 – 15 × 3.4 – 6.3 cm, sparse to moderately puberulous, the indumentum just visible at ×10 magnification, secondary veins in 9 – 13 pairs, the tertiary veins visible above and below, apex acute or short-acuminate, acumen to 5 mm long, base rounded or cuneate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a cluster of 2 – 3 racemes, occasionally branching once, axes densely puberulous, peduncle and rachis together 8.5 – 15.2 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Hermaphrodite flowers: pedicels 10 – 21 mm long Functionally male flowers 1 occasionally present, resembling the hermaphrodite flowers, bracteoles 6 – 11 × 4 – 7 mm; hypanthium, 1 mm long; sepals 4 – 6 × 1 – 2 mm; adaxial petal 2 – 5 × 3 – 4 mm; stamens free part of filaments 2 – 3 mm long, anthers 1 – 1.5 mm long; ovary 2 – 2.5 × c. 1 mm, style coiled, 1 – 2 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts broadly triangular, 7 – 12 × 4 – 5 mm, conspicuous in developing inflorescence but not persisting until anthesis, Bracteoles thin, obovate, 28 – 40 × 9 – 12 mm, about three times longer than wide, outer surface densely puberulous, inner surface densely puberulous when newly opened, but later becoming glabrous in the central area

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium

Hypanthium tubular, 9 – 12 mm long, unevenly pubescent outside, the surface clearly visible between irregular longitudinal bands of hairs, glabrous inside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5, subequal, narrowly oblong, 22 – 28 × 3 – 4 mm long, petaloid, striate, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 5, unequal in length; adaxial petal largest, 48 – 55 × 35 – 40 mm, apex emarginate; lateral and abaxial petals smaller and all similar in size, narrowly oblong becoming wider towards the apex, 27 – 38 × 8 – 10 mm, apex emarginate to entire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 10, 9 fused at base for 2 – 3 mm, free part of filaments 43 – 55 mm long, anthers c. 2.5 mm long, adaxial stamen free

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary shortly stipitate, oblong, c. 7 × 2 mm, faces densely sericeous, individual hairs clearly visible at ×10 magnification, style 41 – 48 mm long, stigma terminal, capitate, minute

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod oblong, laterally compressed, 15 – 33 × 6 – 9 cm, moderately golden puberulous during maturation, dehisced mature valves appearing glabrous at ×10 magnification but minutely, sparsely and unevenly puberulous at higher magnification, outer surface dull, transverse grooves visible, upper suture to 8 mm wide on each valve, beak to 18 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds not seen, but 1 – 4 positions in pods

Seedling

Seedling: hypocotyl very short; cotyledons at ground level, spreading, fleshy; leafless part of stem 24 – 32 cm long, with a few linear scales present; leaves (1 –) 2 (– 3), alternate, stipulate, pinnate; leaflets opposite, usually 2 pairs, sometimes 1 pair or a single leaflet only; petiole 3.8 – 7.1 cm long, rachis (0 –) 2 – 3.6 cm long; petiolule 0.4 – 0.6 cm long; leaflets ovate to elliptic, 7.5 – 13 (– 16.5) × 3.5 – 5.5 (– 7.5) cm, secondary nerves 5 – 6 pairs, apex long acuminate, acumen 2 – 3.5 cm long