Neuropeltis
NEUROPELTIS Wall. in Roxb., Fl. Ind., 2: 43. 1824
Neuropeltis racemosa Wall. in Roxb.
Africa, Asia. map
9 species in tropical Africa and 4 in tropical Asia (1 in India, 3 in SE Asia).
The characters of the fully mature flowers are essential for species recognition in Neuropeltis. As pointed out already by Van Ooststroom (loc. cit.) it is difficult to separate the Asian species unless fully developed, open flowers are present; the vegetative and fruiting characters demonstrate extraordinary variability and it has proven impossible, up til now, to correlate the floral characters in any meaningful way with the variability in leaves, fruits, fruiting bracts, and indumentum. A revision of the Asian species, taking into account the abundant collections now at hand, and comparing them with the now well characterised African taxa, is much needed.
C.B.Clarke in Hook., Fl. Brit. India 4: 224. 1883.
Gagnep. & Courchet in Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 4: 290. 1915.
Ooststroom, Blumea 3: 80. 1939; Blumea 5: 268-9. 1942.
Ooststroom, Fl. Males. Ser. I, 4: 400. 1953.
Songkhla & Khunwasi, Thai Forest Bull. (Bot.) 20: 64. 1993.
R.C. Fang & Staples in C.Y. Wu & P.H. Raven, Fl. China 16: 277. 1995
Lejoly, J. & S. Lisowski. 1984. Le genre Neuropeltis Wall. (Convolvulaceae) au Zaïre, au Gabon et au Cameroun. Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 54: 471-482.
There is disagreement in how to interpret the structure that enlarges to become a papery wing attached to the capsule: Van Ooststroom, working with the Asian species, called this a bract, and described the bracteoles as minute and hairy. Lejoly & Lisowski, working with African taxa, reported the bracts to be tiny, lanceolate, and early caducous; they interpreted the bracteole as the enormously accrescent part. A careful comparison of the Asian and African species needs to be made to standardise the terminology used.