Chlorophytum sofiense subsp. sofiense

26. 1 Chlorophytum sofiense (H.Perrier) Marais & Reilly subsp. sofiense Fig. 41 Material examined MADAGASCAR – Sofia Region [Mahajanga Prov.] • Domaine occidental: sur des rocailles (gneiss), dans un bois humide, dans le bassin moyen de la Sofia; [15°29′18″ S, 48°35′34″ E]; Mar. 1907; fr; H. Perrier de la Bâthie 10955; P [P01046121, P01046122]!. Description Plant herbaceous, 15–25 cm tall; roots fibrous, some ending in an ovoid to fusiform tubercle, 8–15 × 3–5 mm; stems grouped together, each stem bearing 5–6 leaves; leaves 17–27 × 1.8–2.5 cm, lanceolate, base and apex tapered, shortly sheathing, pseudo-petiole 6–10 cm long (between 1/3 and 1/2 the length of the blade), margins smooth, surfaces glabrous, veins 21, well-spaced and visible on both surfaces; inflorescences 1(–2) per plant, 11–13 × 0.1–0.2 cm, unbranched or sparsely branched, peduncle 8.5 to 10 cm long, with 1 or 2 inflorescence bracts, bracts triangular at the base, subulate, dark brownish when dry, 6 × 2 mm, flowering rachis short (2.0– 3.5 cm long), very dense; flowers unknown, numerous, 2 to 5 per node (based on the number of remaining pedicels), floral bracts long and narrow, 4 × 1 mm, equal to or longer than the pedicel; capsule 3 × 4 mm, locules with 3 or 4 transverse ridges, fruiting pedicel short, 2–4 mm long, with medial articulation; seeds 2 mm diam. and 1 mm thick, the radicle not prominent. Phenology The taxon was collected in March, only in fruit. Distribution and ecology The typical subspecies was collected in the northwest of Madagascar, on an acidic substrate (gneissic rocks), in the mid basin of the Sofia river where it grew in humid undergrowth. Provisional IUCN Red List assessment Chlorophytum sofiense is endemic to Madagascar, where it has a highly disjunct known distribution that corresponds to the two distinct subspecies that are now recognized. The typical subspecies, C. sofiense subsp. sofiense is known from a single collection from the central zone of the Sofia River valley (Sofia Region) that was collected over 100 years ago. The site is poorly explored, but satellite imagery shows considerable degradation in that zone, and there are no protected areas in the vicinity. At the site, habitat loss is inferred due to deforestation and this represents the primary threat to this subspecies. The typical subspecies is therefore considered as data deficient (DD), but possibly extinct (EX). Illustrations Perrier de la Bâthie 1937 [1938]: fig. VII 1–5.