Corresponding author: Alan Paton (
Academic editor: Dimitrios Koureas.
A new species of
Perennial subshrub 1.2–2 m tall. Stems quadrangular, pubescent, more densely so at nodes with eglandular, spreading or retrorse hairs and reddish sessile glands; inflorescence axis also with shorter glandular hairs; young shoots tomentose. Leaves petiolate; blades paler beneath, ovate, 50–120 mm long; 25–40 mm broad, shallowly serrate, base rounded to cuneate, sometimes asymmetric, pubescent with red sessile glands, grey tomentose beneath when young; petioles 8–15 mm long. Inflorescence terminal, branched at base, lax; verticils 2–6-flowered, 5–10 mm apart; bracts inconspicuous, soon deciduous; pedicels 4–5 mm long, spreading, forming a right angle with the calyx. Calyx deflexed, 4 mm long at anthesis, pubescent with reddish sessile glands; fruiting calyx 7 mm long; posterior lip erect; lateral lobes of anterior lip deltoid with posterior margin extended towards posterior lip; median lobes of anterior lip lanceolate, subulate at apex; longer than the lateral lobes. Corolla usually deflexed, pinkish, 10 mm long; tube 7 mm long, straight, dilating slightly towards throat; anterior lip cucullate enclosing stamens. Stamens 4, declinate, enclosed within the anterior lip; posterior pair inappendiculate, glabrous, adnate to the corolla above the midpoint of the tube; anterior pair glabrous, adnating nearer throat, anthers dorsifixed, synthecous. Disk 4-lobed, with anterior lobe larger. Ovary glabrous, deeply 4-lobed; style gynobasic, capitate, branches rounded, equal, adpressed. Nutlets brown, obovate with a small basal scar, minutely tuberculed, producing a small amount of mucilage when wet. Fig.
Differs from all other African species of
Named after the grey tomentose indumentum of the stems and abaxial leaf surfaces.
Endemic to Angola.
Damp area in forest; 1610–1700 m, alt.
No recent gatherings of this species have been collected and the specimens mostly lack precise localities. This species is best viewed as data deficient.
This is a distinctive, easily recognized species, differing from the most large-leaved specimens of
This is the first publication to use stable and persistent identifiers to cite individual specimens from Kew herbarium. This work was facilitated by the pro-iBiosphere project (
Holotype of