A gigantic, towering new tree species in the pea family, Leguminosae, was discovered in the lowland rainforests of Korup national park, Cameroon. Berlinia korupensis reaches a height of 42 metres with a buttressed trunk nearly one metre wide. The species produces stunningly beautiful white flowers, followed by incredibly large pods 30cm in length. The pods disperse their seeds violently for distances up to 50 metres. As the pods dry, their two halves curl in opposite directions, slowly building tension until they suddenly explode.
There are only 17 known examples and the species is critically endangered due to human pressures on the protected forest. It was named among the "250 species discovered in Kew's 250th year" and is one of more than 100 new species from Cameroon that have been described by scientists at Kew Gardens in London since 1995.
Quentin Wheeler is director of the International Institute for Species Exploration, Arizona State University
