New Combinations in Senna Miller and Chamaecrista Moench (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) from Madagascar

Abstract

Following the acceptance of the division of the New World Cassia, sensu lato, into the segregate genera Cassia L., Senna Miller and Chamaecrista Moench, by Irwin and Barneby (1982), it has become necessary to make parallel recombinations in the Old World. Lock (1988) has subsequently made the necessary combinations for Africa, excluding Madagascar. During the compilation of an account of the Leguminosae of Madagascar, it has become evident that further new combinations need to be published. Treatments concerning this group in Madagascar (Ghesquiere, 1935; Viguier, 1949; Brenan, 1960; Capuron, 1968) have all used the generic name Cassia in its broad sense. Lectotypifications have been made for the taxa described by R. Viguier, as they are often based on several cited collections, not infrequently including more than one taxon. The names designated by R. Viguier (1949) to taxa here included in Chamaecrista have been retained in order to assign a name to the variants in Madagascar. However, it is possible that some of these names would change following a broader revision of this complex (including Africa), particularly for the taxa which are not restricted to Madagascar, and which fall within the "groups" (without formal names) designated by Brenan (1967) within the "Ch. mimosoides" species complex.