Additional Notes on Pavetta (Rubiaceae: Pavetteae) from Tropical Eastern and Southern Africa

Abstract

Summary. Fourteen new species of Pavetta (Rubiaceae) are described: five from the Flora Zambesiaca region (P chapmanii, P garueensis, P mulleri, R vanwykiana, P whiteana), eight from the Flora of Tropical East Africa (FTEA) region (P bidgoodiae, P delicatifolia, P diversipunctata, P indigotica, P lulandoensis, P matumbiensis, P pocsii, P roseostellata) and one (P micropunctata) occurring in both regions. Three of them were previously included in Bridson & Verdcourt (1988) as Pavetta sp. C, P sp. D & P sp. E. The identity of one more informal taxon, Pavetta sp. F is established as P pierlotii Bridson. One new subspecies, P abyssinica Fresen. subsp. viridiflora, is described and P appendiculata De Wild. is reduced to a variety of P gardeniifolia A. Rich. The infrageneric position of P roseostellata is discussed in relation to P sp. A (Bridson & Verdcourt 1988). Two species, P incana Klotzsch and P klotzschiana K. Schum., are neotypified. The placement in synonymy by Bremekamp of P arenicola K. Schum. and P stipulopallium K. Schum. under P schumanniana F. Hoffm. ex K. Schum. is challenged. Notes are included on P kyimbilensis Bremek. var. kyimbilensis and a poorly known affiliated taxon. Supplementary data are given for P lindina Bremek. and P tendagurensis Bremek. In the course of preparing an account of Pavetta for Flora Zambesiaca, six new species (P chapmanii, P garueensis, P micropunctata (also in S Tanzania), P mulleri, P vanwykiana & P whiteana) were recognised; these are formally described. The relationship of P incana Klotzsch to P klotzschiana K. Schum. is reconsidered and both are neotypified. One species, P appendiculata De Wild., is reduced to a variety of P gardeniifolia A. Rich. A total of 52 species (including 9 inadequately known, unnamed taxa) will be covered by the account. Of these 22 also occur in the Flora of Tropical East Africa area (FTEA, see Bridson & Verdcourt 1988). Since publication of the account of Pavetta for FTEA, new collections have allowed four poorly known taxa (P. sp. C, P. sp. D, P. sp. E & P sp. j) to be assigned to species. The first three are here formally described as species (P bidgoodiae, P pocsii & P indigotica respectively), while the fourth is accepted as P pierlotii Bridson. Five additional newly discovered species, based on recent collections from Tanzania, are described. The most remarkable of these (P. roseostellata) is pink-flowered and close to the poorly known and anomalous taxon Pavetta sp. A. They are very provisionally attributed to subgenus Baconia. The total number of species currently recognised in the Flora region is 79. However, several additional undescribed taxa based on inadequate material remain. A new subspecies (subsp. viridiflora) of P. abyssinica Fresen. is described and the southernmost limits of the typical variety revised. Additional collections identified as P kyimbilensis Bremek. var. kyimbilensis have allowed the differences from var.