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There are about 25 species in the genus Ormocarpum, with 17 species mostly confined to Africa (Lock, 1989), of which one, 0. sennoides (Willd.) DC., has an Asian subspecies (subsp. sennoides). A number of the African species have fairly restricted distributions. For example, in the Flora of Tropical East Africa area (Gillett, 1971) there are 8 taxa recorded, of which two are confined to the coastal belt (0. sennoides subsp. zanzibaricum Brenan & J. B. Gillett and 0. schliebenii Harms), two are restricted to the north Kenya-Ethiopia-Somalia arid area (0. muricatum Chiov. and 0. keniense J. B. Gillett), and one is found only in the dry Ruaha valley of Tanzania in the Udzungwa mountain rainshadow (0. flavum J. B. Gillett). The remaining three are fairly widespread in woodland and bushland (0. trichocarpum (Taub.) Engl., 0. trachycarpum (Taub.) Harms and 0. kirkii S. Moore). In the course of conducting a floristic and ecological survey of the Mwanihana Forest Reserve in the northern Udzungwa mountains, Tanzania, a further species of Ormocarpum was discovered. The new species is distinctive both in its ecology, as it is the only eastern African species in submontane rainforest, and in its affinities, which are Guineo-Congolian. The new species is described here, and its phytogeographical affinities discussed. |
