Cassipourea korupensis
Tree, to ca. 10 m tall and 30 cm dbh, crown dense; branches terete, glabrescent to shortly appressed-puberulous; internodes (25--) 35--60 (--80) cm long. Stipules usually persistent at two terminal nodes, caducous on subsequent ones, triangular, 8--11 mm long, 4--5 mm wide at base, subacute to obtuse at apex, with a diffuse midrib, abaxial surface densely appressed-pubescent to glabrescent, adaxial surface glabrous, with a line of ca. 30 colleters at base; petiole glabrous, stout, 5--11 mm long; lamina glabrous, broadly elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, abruptly acuminate at apex, cuneate to more or less rounded at base, entire at margin, coriaceous, 7--16 x 3.5--8.5 cm, with 4 to 6 pairs of lateral nerves on each side of midrib, visible but not conspicuous on upper surface, prominent on lower surface. Inflorescence axillary, fasciculate, 1- to 4-flowered; bracts ovate, 2--3 mm long, ca. 3 mm wide, tomentulose outside, glabrous inside; pedicel green, drying brown, glabrous, rarely glabrescent, (12--) 20--25 mm long, articulated less than 2 mm from the apex; Flowers 5 (or 6)-merous; calyx white, drying brown, sparsely tomentulose outside, densely tomentose inside, cupuliform, ca. 11 mm high, 12--15 mm diam., ca. 1 mm thick, the tube 3--5 mm long, as long as or shorter than lobes, the lobes acute, 4--7 mm long; petals unknown, early caducous; stamens ca. 60, as long as or shorter than calyx tube, the filaments 2--3 mm long, inserted outside disk, the anthers oblong, apiculate, ca. 2 mm long with fine long flexuous trichomes; ovary 3- or 4-locular depressed-subglobose, ca. 2 mm high, to 3 mm diam., glabrous; style stout, to 3 mm long; stigma capitate. Fruit subglobose, emerging from persistent calyx, slightly depressed at the top, 8--11 mm high, glabrous.
Cassipourea korupensis is so far known only from Korup National Park, where it appears to regenerate, based on the size-class distribution. Of the 47 individuals enumerated within the 50-hectare permanent plot in the Korup National Park, Cameroon, 37 had diameters less than 5 cm. The protected status of Korup National Park means that the only known population of this species is free from human disturbance. This species is quite under-collected and is known so far only from the specimens cited herein despite various botanical surveys in southwest Cameroon, which might give an indication of its rarity. Based on this evidence and with the hope that its publication will contribute to a better knowledge of its distribution and conservation status, following the IUCN (2001) Red List Categories and Criteria version 3.1, the provisional conservation status of this species is evaluated as Vulnerable VU DI. However, it is likely that future surveys will show the species to be more common and more widely distributed.
Lowland forest to 300 m altitude
Endemic to Cameroon