Gastrodia africana

[Melanie]

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
PLANTAE TRACHEOPHYTA LILIOPSIDA ORCHIDALES ORCHIDACEAE

Scientific Name: Gastrodia africana
Species Authority: Kraenzl.
Assessment Information [top]
Red List Category & Criteria: Critically Endangered A1c+2c ver 2.3
Year Published: 2000
Date Assessed: 2000-01-01
Annotations:
Needs updating
Assessor(s): Cheek, M. & Cable, S.
Geographic Range [top]
Range Description: Known only from Mt Cameroon possibly Mt Kala. This appears to be the western most and only native African species of a genus of about 35 species of mycotrophic, sometimes edible and medicinal orchids, mostly found in S.E. Asia and tropical Australia. Collected by Dusen at Mt Cameroon between "Love and Ndiva" in the month of April, it is unclear where these localities are or were. However, if the letter 'v' in these words is converted to 'b' then the localities are rendered Lobe and Ndibe, recognizable as a major plantation area immediately to the north of Mt Cameroon. The type was destroyed by the Allied bombing of Berlin in March 1943.
Countries:
Possibly extinct:
Cameroon
Range Map: Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
Habitat and Ecology [top]
Habitat and Ecology: Unknown, but presumably lowland forest.
Systems: Terrestrial
Threats [top]
Major Threat(s): Unknown, but if lowland forest, then forest clearance at low altitude poses a major threat to this species, if it is not already extinct.

www.iucnredlist.org/details/39575/0

[Melanie]

Gastrodia africana Kraenzl., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 28: 179 (1900).
Type:Cameroon, between Love and Ndiva, Dusén 397 (holotype B†; isotype S!).
Description:
Leafless achlorophyllose erect herb, up to 3 – 4 cm tall, rhizome tuberous, elongated up to 4.5 – 20 × 8.8 – 1.2 cm. Scale leaves 4 – 8, 8 – 12 mm long, truncate with abruptly pointed apex. Inflorescence lax, up to 1.5 – 2 cm long, with 3 – 8 flowers, bracts brown, 6 – 8 mm long. Flowers campanulate, green, up to 12 mm long, sepals and petals fused; pedicel 6 mm long; ovary 3 – 4 mm long. Dorsal sepal 8 – 9 × 4 – 5 mm, ovate-obtuse; lateral sepals 10 – 12 × 5 mm, ovate-lanceolate. Petals 7 – 7.5 × 1.5 – 2 mm, ovate. Lip 3-lobed, ovate, with 2 white calli at base, basal part 4 – 4.5 × 4 – 5 mm, thickened at centre, with 2 glandular calli near the base of the midlobe, midlobe oblong-ovate, obtuse, 2.5 × 2 mm. Column 5.5 mm long. Fruit with pedicel elongating up to 2 cm long, capsule up to 2.5 cm long.
Habitat:
In submontane forest with Allanblackia gabonensis (formerly A. monticola), Carapa grandiflora and Cola sp.; 1100 – 1200 m.
Notes:
Gastrodia africana Kraenzl. was considered locally endemic to the Mt Cameroon area where it is considered to be possibly extinct (Cable & Cheek 1998). It was discovered by Dusén (Dusén 397) on Mt Cameroon between "Love und Ndive" in the month of April. These localities are possibly those known today as Lobe and Ndibe, in a major plantation area immediately to the north of Mt Cameroon (Cable & Cheek 1998). The holotype is believed to have been destroyed in Berlin but an isotype survives in S. A collection from Mt Kala near Yaoundé (Letouzey 9509) was referred to this species by Sanford (see Szlachetko & Olszewski 2001), but this assignment is debatable (Cable & Cheek 1998).
Distribution:
SW. Cameroon


www.africanorchids.dk/241-gastrodia/1802-gastrodia-africana

[koeiyabe]

plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.ya0017533?searchUri=filter%3Dname%26so%3Dps_group_by_genus_species%2Basc%26Query%3DGastrodia%2Bafricana