Description

One of a group of dwarf central African species (the E. poggei complex) that also includes E. delucanus, E. schmitzii and E. schaijesii. Distinguished by the short bluish green leaves with a short clear petiole and the dark green to bluish green cones.

Plants acaulescent; stem 0.4 m tall, 15 cm diam.

Leaves 50-85 cm long, blue green, semiglossy, strongly keeled; rachis green, straight with last third sharply recurved, not spirally twisted; petiole straight, with 1-6 prickles; leaf-base collar not present; basal leaflets reducing to spines

Leaflets linear, weakly discolorous, not overlapping, not lobed, insertion angle obtuse (45-80°); upper margin entire (no teeth); lower margin entire (no teeth); median leaflets 10-12 cm long, 12-13 mm wide

Pollen cones 1-3, narrowly ovoid, bluish-green or green, 18-25 cm long, 5-7.5 cm diam.

Seed cones 1-3, ovoid, blue-green or green, 20-30 cm long, 10-15 cm diam.

Seeds oblong, 20-30 mm long, 20-25 mm wide, sarcotesta red or yellow.

Distribution & Habitat

DR of Congo, open savanna on the Marungu Mountains in the south-east of the country

 

Notes:

From the Marungu Mountains, south-eastern Zaire, with the Latin termination -ensis, place of origin. Described in 1959 by Belgian botanist -- Devred

References & Acknowledgements:

• Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney