Barleria obtecta Champl., sp. nov.

Barleriae velutinae Champl. similis sed propter calycis lobos integros nec dentatos et corollam cum lobos rotundatos-obovatos nec ellipticos bene differt

– Type: D.R.Congo, District du Haut-Katanga, Mitwaba, Desenfans 730 (holo-: BRLU).

Suffrutescent plant 50–70 cm high. Stem densely hairy. Lamina of the leaves elliptic, coriaceous, 2.5–4 × 1.3–2 cm, cuneate to subrounded at the base, obtuse at the tip, with up to 5 lateral ascendent nerves, glabrous to sparsely hairy above, silky-villous below, sessile or subsessile; bracts three or four times narrower than the leaves; calyx lobes elliptic, papery, entire, densely silky, posterior and anterior one about 2.3 × 1.2 cm, lateral ones lanceolate, 1.5 cm long; corolla 3 cm long, glandular outside, without upper lobes and with three orbicular-obovate lower lobes 15 × 16 mm and with a cylindrical tube 15 mm long, 3–4 mm wide at the throat. Stamens not seen at anthesis, anthers 4 mm long in bud; style about 25 mm long. Capsule black, ellipsoid-oblong, 27 mm long and 10 mm wide, apparently 2-seeded (Desenfans 663). Fig. 1.

Distribution – Species from the Zambezian centre of endemism. Endemic from Katanga. Fig. 4.

Other collections examined – D.R.Congo: District du Haut-Katanga, Sokele, Desenfans 663 (BRLU); s.l. Desenfans 676 (BRLU).

Habitat – Not given.