A New Species of Yam from Kenya, Dioscorea kituiensis Pollen Morphology, Conservation Status, and Speciation

Abstract

Comparative morphological studies of specimens included in Dioscorea gillettii from Kenya and Ethiopia show differentiation between a northern group of populations in Sidamo and Bale Provinces in Ethiopia and near Moyale in northern Kenya and a southern group found in Kitui and Meru Districts of Kenya. Thus the southern element is described as a new species. The two species also differ in their pollen morphology. An illustration, distribution map, and a conservation status assessment are provided for D. kituiensis, and its mode of speciation is discussed.