Etymology: From the Marungu Mountains, south-eastern Zaire, with the Latin termination -ensis, place of origin. Literature: Illustrations: Vernacular: Historical notes: Described in 1959 by Belgian botanist -- Devred. Distinguishing features: 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. Distribution and habitat: DR of Congo, open savanna on the Marungu Mountains in the south-east of the country. Conservation: 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants category E. Description:
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.
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