African Botany Research Articles

Inga Hedberg (1927-2024) – inspirational driving force in tropical African botany for 60 years

Docent, fil. dr. Inga Hedberg (Fig. 1) died in Uppsala on the 13th of January 2024, at the age of 96 years. Together with her husband, Olov Hedberg, she has been a central and tireless figure in a range of important international projects on African botany, probably with the Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea (1980-2009) as the most remarkable.

Six new species of Barleria L. (Acanthaceae) from Northeast Tropical Africa

SummarySix new species of Barleria L. (Acanthaceae) are described from northeast tropical Africa: B. gidoleensis Ensermu & I. Darbysh., B. baluganii Ensermu, B. ferox Ensermu & I. Darbysh. and B. negeleensis Ensermu & I. Darbysh. from Ethiopia and B. ensermui I. Darbysh. and B. shebelleensis Ensermu & I. Darbysh. from Somalia. All the species are illustrated and their affinities and conservation status are discussed. A note on the presence of B. parviflora R. Br. ex T. Anderson in northern Somalia is also included. In addition, a foreword is presented on the great contribution to Acanthaceae taxonomy and African botany made by Professor Ensermu Kelbessa, who sadly passed away in August 2016.

African botany and botanists

African botany and botanists

South African botany

No abstract

Gilbert Westacott Reynolds: his study of Aloe and a bibliography of his work

Gilbert Westacott Reynolds (1895–1967) was the doyen of Aloe students from 1930 to 1966. The first bibliography of his work is provided. It lists a total of 122 publications on the genus, of which 8 are books, the major ones being The Aloes of South Africa (1950, with three later editions) and The Aloes of Tropical Africa and Madagascar (1966). He published 73 papers in the Journal of South African Botany in which species were revised and new ones described. He named 83 new species and 19 new varieties: these 102 names account for c.11% of new epithets published in Aloe since 1753, making him the most prolific publisher of such names of all time. It is emphasized that Reynolds aimed to illustrate his publications with high quality photos and a previously unpublished proof plate is included as an example of his work. He published a series of travelogues from which brief extracts with commentaries are included. Notes are also provided on some of his major collaborators for his studies in tropical Africa and on his commemorations and awards.

Emilio Chiovenda and his contribution to the knowledge of East African succulent plants, with a selected bibliography

Emilio Chiovenda (1871–1941) is one of the very few Italian botanists devoted to the study of East African succulent plants. A short biography is presented, that emphasizes his contributions to the study of the East African succulent flora and the new taxa he described. It is shown that in his studies on tropical African botany, Chiovenda described 53 new genera and about 1,300 new species and infraspecific taxa. His contribution to the knowledge of the flora of tropical North East Africa remains a lasting memorial. Two previously unpublished photos of Chiovenda, unpublished drawings of Caralluma rivae, and a selected bibliography are included.

‘Enough to be considered useful’: John Acocks’ contribution to South African botany

John Acocks died in 1979 after working for nearly 50 years as a botanist in South Africa. His scientific contributions have had a profound influence on southern African ecology and this introductory article which includes a biographical sketch of his life, places his contribution in perspective. The 10 articles which appear in this issue have been prepared not only as a tribute to his contribution but also as an assessment of its current utility. Scientific thought is constantly changing and an attempt has been made to indicate where Acocks’ views are still supported by current evidence and where revision is necessary. His contribution lay in three main areas. Firstly, his description of the vegetation (or Veld Types) of South Africa remains a work of considerable importance and will probably never be repeated at the same level of scale, by a single individual, again. Three articles show that when assessed at a smaller scale his Veld Type concept is robust in some, but not all, cases. Differences between Acocks’ views and current treatments of the data are highlighted for the Bankenveld and for the vegetation of the Subtropical Thicket and Nama-karoo biomes. Acocks’ second important influence concerns his views on precolonial vegetation and the extent of human impact. He could not have presaged the explosion of palaeoenvironmental techniques which have arisen since his death and which have provided a somewhat different view of pre-colonial environments from the one he articulated, particularly with regard to the influence of fire on grasslands, savannas and forests. Although his views on the expansion of the eastern Karoo are not upheld in the light of recent findings there is good evidence for significant changes in the fauna and flora of the Karoo over the last 300 years. Acocks’ final contribution lay in the field of veld restoration and grazing management where he continues to have an influence on a small sector of the farming and range science community today. Not only has John Acocks provided a rich theoretical framework for scholars to test but he has also left a legacy of well-organised data for future generations. The final two papers in this special issue indicate the utility of his archives which will gain in value over the years. Challenges to Acocks’ views will continue apace and much of what he has written will undoubtedly be revised. This doesn’t detract from his contribution in any way but serves to highlight the importance of the foundation that he created during his lifetime and which we acknowledge in this special issue.

A New Species of Villarsia (Menyanthaceae) from South Africa

A second African species of Villarsia, V goldblattiana, is described from South Africa. The genus otherwise is Australian (13 species) and southeastern Asian (1 species). Villarsia goldblattiana differs from V capensis in its larger ovule number, glabrous seeds, longer calyx lobes, taller inflorescences, and apparent requirement of fire to induce flowering. It is known only from the southern Cape Peninsula. Both South African Villarsia species are tetraploid with 2n = 36. An emended description of V capensis is given, and the origin and location of its holotype and of the holotypes of the synonyms Menyanthes ovata L. f. and M. capensis Thunberg are discussed. The only species of Villarsia (Menyanthaceae) currently recognized in Africa is V capensis (Houttuyn) Merrill of Western Cape Province (Marais & Verdoorn, 1963; Dyer, 1975). Elsewhere, there are 13 species of the genus in Australia (Aston, 1969; Ornduff, 1990) and an additional one in southeastern Asia (Omrnduff, 1994). As traditionally circumscribed, Villarsia capensis exhibits interpopulation variability in habitat, leaf size, and floral characters. I have suggested that further study of the South African plants may result in the recognition of more than one species (Ornduff, 1974). Recently, I examined specimens of South African Villarsia borrowed from BOL and NBG and concluded that a second species of Villarsia occurs in South Africa. I am naming it Villarsia goldblattiana in recognition of Peter Goldblatt's significant contributions to southern African botany, particularly the systematics and reproductive biology of the Iridaceae, and in appreciation for his considerable assistance in my study of Villarsia in South Africa. Villarsia goldblattiana Omrnduff, sp. nov. TYPE: South Africa. Western Cape Province: growing abundantly in shallow standing water of marsh, N of road to Olifantsbos, 1.7 mi. W of its junction with main road to Cape Point Nature Reserve, 5 Feb. 1971, Ornduff 7099 (holotype, sheet I, NBG; isotype, sheet II, NBG). Figure 1. Villarsiae capensi affinis sed differt in characteribus pluribus: inflorescentia 45-84 cm elata, 1.8-vel 2.5-plo longior quam folium longissimum; calycis lobi 6-14 mm longi, 2-3 mm late basi; ovaria ovulis 3-8; semina glabra. Erect, tufted, non-stoloniferous perennial. Basal leaves erect, evergreen, with petioles 12-32 cm long; blades fleshy, oblong to ovate, 4-9 cm long, 1.5-8 cm wide, attenuate to cordate at base, entire. Inflorescence an open panicle with 16-55 flowers, 45-85 cm tall, the tallest 1.8-2.5 times the length of the longest leaves, with cauline leaves gradually reduced upward to scales. Flowers distylous, open or only one day, on pedicels 1-2 cm long. Corolla yellow, the 5 obovate lobes about twice the length of the calyx lobes, the margins fimbriate, with hairs on parts of the upper surface. Calyx lobes 5, + lanceolate, 6-14 mm long, 2-3 mm wide at the base. Ovules 3-8 per ovary. Capsules ovoid, equaling or slightly longer than the calyx lobes. Seeds glabrous, yellow, ? orbicular, biconvex, 1.5-2 mm diam. Wet soil and marshes, Cape Peninsula. Near sea level to 600 m. Flowers October to January, reportedly after fire. Paratypes. SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape Province: .. in summo monte 'Steenberg' alt. circa 800 ped., Dec. 1903, L. Kensit s.n. (BOL); Muizenberg Plateau, Nov. 1913, E. Kensit s.n. (BOL); Noord Hoek Mts., alt. 2000 ft., 2 Jan. 1945, Compton 16898 (BOL, NBG); Cape Point, Patrys Vlei, 24 Nov. 1946, Compton 18826 (NBG); Smitswinkel Flats, Cape Peninsula, 29 Oct. 1942, Compton 14007 (NBG). Villarsia goldblattiana has 3-8 ovules per ovary, glabrous seeds, calyx lobes that are 6-14 mm long, and inflorescences that are 45-85 cm tall and 1.82.5 times the length of the longest leaves. It grows from near sea level to 600 m in elevation and is known only from the southern Cape Peninsula, where it has been collected on the slopes above Noordhoek and the Steenberg plateau south to the Smitswinkel Flats in the Cape Point Nature Reserve. It is reported to flower after a fire (Fraser & McMahon, 1994; P. Salter, pers. comm. 1997). I suspect that the primary effect of fire is to increase light intensity by temporarily reducing the shading that is caused by an overstory of fynbos shrubs. I revisited the type locality of this species in early September 1998, but was unable to find any plants NOVON 9: 407-409. 1999. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.148 on Sun, 11 Sep 2016 04:11:19 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

Goldblatt, P. & Lowry II P.P. (eds), 1988. Modern Systematic Studies in African Botany.

Nordic Journal of BotanyVolume 11, Issue 4 p. 450-450 Goldblatt, P. & Lowry II P.P. (eds), 1988. Modern Systematic Studies in African Botany. Ivan Nielsen, Ivan NielsenSearch for more papers by this author Ivan Nielsen, Ivan NielsenSearch for more papers by this author First published: August 1991 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-1051.1991.tb01245.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume11, Issue4August 1991Pages 450-450 RelatedInformation

Botany

The National Botanic Gardens of the RSA aim to promote the conservation and research of the flora of southern Africa. Since 1944, some 13 publications were issued at regular intervals as supplementary volumes to the Journal of South African Botany. In 1984 the latter amalgamated with the South African Journal of Botany which is produced for both the National Botanic Gardens and the South African Association of Botanists. The numbering of volumes followed that of the Journal of South African Botany.

A. C. Hoyle: An Appreciation

Arthur Clague Hoyle, who died on 3 July 1986 in his 82nd year, played a significant part in the development of African botany. In 1928 he was appointed as Forest Botanist to assist Dr Joseph Burtt Davy in the Forest Herbarium (FHO) of the old Department of Forestry in the University of Oxford, replacing P. J. Greenway who had gone to Amani to look after the herbarium at the recently reopened East African Agricultural Research Institute (Verdcourt 1981). Twelve years later, Hoyle succeeded Burtt Davy as Curator of the herbarium and University Lecturer in Forest Botany, retiring from the latter post in 1972. For many years Hoyle worked on the intractable genus Brachystegia (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae), one of the most difficult in the African flora. Possibly owing to an idiosyncratic approach to taxonomy combined with perfectionist ideals his monograph was never published in its entirety. Nevertheless, nearly all the species are included in his various contributions to regional and local floras.

Convergent Evolution of the 'Homeria' Flower Type in Six New Species of Moraea (Iridaceae-Irideae) in Southern Africa

Convergent Evolution of the 'Homeria' Flower Type in Six New Species of Moraea (Iridaceae-Irideae) in Southern Africa

Cytology and Systematics of the Moraea fugax Complex (Iridaceae)

Cytology and Systematics of the Moraea fugax Complex (Iridaceae)

Notes on the Systematics of Hesperantha (Iridaceae) in Tropical Africa

Notes on the Systematics of Hesperantha (Iridaceae) in Tropical Africa

A New Species of Grassland Psychotria (Rubiaceae) from Africa

In 1952 when I was working on a revision of the genus Pentas (Rubiaceae) I examined the sheet Tessmann 2277 cited below and excluded it from the genus without suggesting what it might be; the sheet had been labelled by K. Schumann himself as his Pentas cleistostoma but this is an error, doubtless penned in haste after a too superficial examination. In 1965 E. Petit, whilst revising the African species of Psychotria, annotated one of the Mildbraed sheets 'Psychotria sp. cp. Turner 283 Sudan'. Mildbraed himself had annotated the sheet not seen by Petit as 'Psychotriafertitensis Schwfth. mscr'. Whilst attempting to name bundles of unidentified specimens accumulated at the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) I put on one side Wyld 761 as a Psychotria I did not recognize and was surprised when it turned out to be an undescribed species matching the other sheets cited. Although none of the material is of the best, the five sheets available are quite adequate for description and I have taken up the name originally proposed by G. Schweinfurth (1836-1925), that exemplary and supremely generous scientist-one of the giants of African botany.

A Survey of Seed Surface Morphology in Hesperantha (Iridaceae)

A Survey of Seed Surface Morphology in Hesperantha (Iridaceae)

Occurrence of Crystals in Iridaceae and Allied Families and their Phylogenetic Significance

Styloid crystals, presumed to be calcium oxalate, seem to be a fundamental characteristic of Iridaceae based on previous reports of their presence in several genera of both major subfamilies, and supplemented here by further records in 75 of the ca. 85 genera of the family. Styloids have now been reported in some 300 species of Iridaceae, of about 320 examined. These elongated crystals are lacking in a few scattered species but perhaps significantly from Sisyrinchium and some closely allied genera. Families and isolated genera possibly related to Iridaceae, including Geosiris and Isophysis, were also examined for crystal types. Styloids are present in Isophysis. Tecophilaeaceae and Campynemaceae have raphides and three species of Colchicaceae and several of Uvulariaceae have crystal sand. A few of the latter have raphides, sometimes with crystal sand. Crystals are absent in Geosiris. The difference in crystal types taken together with some significant differences in morphology suggest that Campynemaceae and Colchicaceae are not immediately allied either to Iridaceae or to one another. We suggest that Campynemaceae may be better placed close to Melanthiaceae or Burmanniaceae. Isophysis, with three stamens but a superior ovary, is probably best treated in its own subfamily of Iridaceae. Tecophilaeaceae are no longer believed to be closely related to Iridaceae and their placement in a different order is supported. Data on the kinds of crystals of the calcium oxalate type (raphides, styloids, and crystal sand) occurring in plant tissues are widely scattered in the literature and information concerning their distribution in the plant kingdom is not readily available to systematists. Although little is known about the function of such crystals in plants, their shape and location are often very characteristic at different taxonomic levels (Franceschi & Horner, 1980). A brief mention by Metcalfe (1961) that styloids (pseudoraphides) were particularly characteristic of Iridaceae seemed intriguing and worth further investigation to establish, as far as seems reasonable, the frequency of styloids and possibly other crystal types in the family. We have also surveyed the crystal characters in putative relatives of Iridaceae. These include the monotypic Madagascan Geosiridaceae; Colchicaceae (Liliaceae-Colchicoideae); Uvulariaceae (Liliaceae-Uvularioideae); the Tasmanian Isophysis; and the poorly known Australasian Campynema and Campynemanthe. The latter two genera are variously assigned to Hypoxidaceae, Colchicaceae (Dahlgren & Clifford, 1982), or to a separate Campynemaceae (Dumortier, 1829: 57-58; Dahigren & Rasmussen, 1983) and have been suggested to be close to Iridaceae (Dahigren & Rasmussen, 1983: 369-372). Uvulariaceae sensu Dahigren & Rasmussen, postulated as ancestral to Colchicaceae and to Iridaceae (Dahlgren, pers. comm.), comprises Hexacyrtis and the Disporum group of Liliaceae and is largely North Temperate. A few members of Tecophilaeaceae were also examined because this family was proposed as close to the ancestral line of Iridaceae by Hutchinson (1973), although there is little current support for his view. MATERIALS AND METHODS Dry or FAA-fixed living leaf samples were gathered from at least one to a few species of many genera of Iridaceae from both subfamilies, Iridoideae (here including Sisyrinchioideae) and Ixioideae. Samples were examined at Missouri Botanical Garden (MO) and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K). At MO samples were sometimes cleared in 5% NaOH for several hours or more until satisfactorily transparent or more often were cleared in household bleach. They were then ' Supported by grants DEB 78-10655 and 81-19292 from the United States National Science Foundation. I thank R. Keating for technical advice and for helpful comments; R. Dahlgren for reviewing the manuscript and for suggestions including the disposition of Campynemaceae; and John Dwyer for his independent examination of the flowers of Isophysis. 2B. A. Krukoff Curator of African Botany, Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri 63166. 3Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri 63166. 4Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, Great Britain. ANN. MissouRI BOT. GARD. 71: 1013-1020. 1984. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.35 on Wed, 31 Aug 2016 04:36:22 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 1014 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN [VOL. 71 mounted immediately in glycerin or dehydrated through an alcohol series and permanently mounted in Canada balsam. At K samples were sectioned using a Reichert sliding microtome. Sections were stained in safranin and alcian blue, dehydrated through an alcohol series and mounted in Euparal. The samples were viewed between polarizing filters to detect the presence and type of crystals in the tissue. The sole species of Isophysis and Geosiris, one each of Campynema and Campynemanthe and several of Colchicaceae, Uvulariaceae, Liliaceae (sensu Dahlgren & Clifford, 1982) and Tecophilaeaceae (Table 1) were treated in the same way at MO for comparison. The genera and species studied are listed in Table 1 together with the crystal types observed. Voucher or accession number information is available from the authors but is not reported

Preliminary Cytology of Australasian Iridaceae

Native Australasian Iridaceae are poorly known cytologically with only Libertia, x = 19, well studied. In other genera Patersonia is shown to have n = 11 (not 12 as previously reported), 21 and 31, Diplarrhena has n = 15-16, and Orthrosanthus laxus, a high polyploid, n = 75-80. The only nonAfrican species of Dietes, D. robinsoniana, from Lord Howe Island, has n = 10 which agrees with x = 10 known for the African species. An artificial hybrid D. robinsoniana x D. iridioides also has n = 10. Affinities of the Autralasian Iridaceae are discussed in relation to the cytology and morphology. There are five or perhaps six native genera and some 26 species of Iridaceae in Australasia, few compared to the other southern continents where the family is well represented. Two Australasian genera, Libertia and Orthrosanthus are shared with South America and one, Dietes, with Africa, while Diplarrhena, Patersonia, and also Isophysis (if this is admitted to the family) are endemic. Patersonia actually extends to New Guinea and Borneo, though it is centered in temperate Australia. The affinities of the endemic genera are not clear, while the relationship of the Australasian species of Dietes to the rest of this essentially African genus has been the subject of considerable interest. Cytology has been of great value in interpreting relationships of Iridaceae in Africa (Goldblatt, 1971, 1976a) and seems likely to be of value in the New World also. The Australasian species and genera are hardly known cytologically except for Libertia (Hair et al., 1967), and with this in mind I have undertaken this study. Results to date have been somewhat meager but seem worth reporting, in spite of remaining gaps in the record. Hopefully results will stimulate further investigation of the family in Australasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seeds and plants of native Australian species were obtained from Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth; from Winifred Curtis and Desmond Morris, Tasmania; and from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. The hybrid Dietes robinsonia x D. iridioides was made by M. Boussard, Verdun, France, from parent plants of wild origin. Unfortunately, with few exceptions material is not represented by vouchers collected in the wild, and I have been able to make vouchers of only the few which grew to flowering at the Missouri Botanical Garden. All counts were made from mitotic preparations. Root tips obtained from actively growing plants were pretreated in 0.003 M hydroxy-quinoline, fixed in Carnoy's solution, hydrolyzed in 10o HCl for 6 minutes at 60'C and squashed 1 This study was supported by grants BMS 74-18905 and DEB 76-19907 from the United States National Science Foundation. I wish to thank Winifred Curtis and Desmond Morris of Tasmania for material of Diplarrhena studied, and Dr. M. Boussard for plants of his hybrid D. robinsoniana x D. iridioides. 2 B. A. Krukoff Curator of African Botany, Missouri Botanical Garden, Post Office Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri 63166. ANN. MISSOURI BOT. GARD. 66: 851-855. 1979. 0026-6493/79/0851-0855/$00.65/0 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Sun, 19 Jun 2016 05:55:54 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 852 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN [VOL. 66 TABLE 1. Chromosome numbers in Australasian Iridaceae. Counts in bold type are new reports.

Further Notes on Retziaceae: Its Chemical Contents and Affinities

Further Notes on Retziaceae: Its Chemical Contents and Affinities

A Contribution to Cytology in Cornales

Chromosome counts in Nyssa and Camptotheca indicate a base number of x = 22 for Nyssaceae. Davidia, the only genus of Davidiaceae, has x = 21. In Cornaceae, where x = 11 was thought basic, Mastixia has n = 13 and 11, while Curtisia, recently excluded from Cornaceae as Curtisiaceae, has n = 13. Nyssaceae and Davidiaceae appear more closely related to Cornaceae than previously recognized subfamilies and tribes of this family, and segregation of Helwingia, Mastixia and Curtisia from Cornaceae as proposed by other workers is supported on cytological grounds. While preparing a review of angiosperm cytology in relation to phylogeny, Raven (1975) was able to point out important gaps in the chromosome record for flowering plants. One of the groups where information was conspicuously lacking was the Cornaceae and its allied families Nyssaceae, Davidiaceae, and segregates such as Curtisiaceae. An attempt was made to learn more of the cytology of these families, and by the time the review went to press (Raven, 1975), chromosome numbers had been determined for several rare and taxonomically critical genera. Most of these counts were available in time for inclusion in the review, but were not fully documented there. This paper, therefore, presents in detail the results of this recent chromosomal study with a short discussion of the possible significance to the systematics of the families concerned. The counts were made mainly by the writer but also by L. Riidenberg and W. Tai, and with their permission, are also reported here. MATERIALS, METHODS, AND OBSERVATIONS Meiotic studies were made of most of the species investigated. Buds were fixed in Carnoy's solution (ethanol-acetic acid, 3:1) and stored in 70% ethanol. 1Thanks are extended to the following for their assistance in providing materials used in this study: D. E. Breedlove, California Academy of Sciences, for buds of Davidia involucrata from plants at the Strybing Arboretum; Setijati Sastrapadja, Director, National Biological Institute, Bogor, Indonesia, for buds of Mastixia trichotoma; K. M. Matthew, St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli, India, for buds of M. arborea; B. Bartholomew, University of California Botanic Garden, for seeds of Cornus capitata; and R. H. Eyde, Smithsonian Institution, for Nyssa sylvatica var. sylvatica and for arranging the collection of buds of N. ogeche by R. K. Godfrey, Florida State University, and N. sylvatica var. biflora by J. Stubbs, U.S. Forest Service. Counts for Mastixia trichotoma were made by W. Tai, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Michigan State University, while Lily Rudenberg, Gray Herbarium, Harvard University, counted one of the collections of Davidia involucrata studied here. The author is recipient of grant DEB-76-19907 from ;the U.S. National Science Foundation. Collection of Mastixia arborea was made possible by a travel grant to Dr. Eyde from the Smithsonian Institution's Foreign Currency Program. 2 B. A. Krukoff Curator of African Botany, Missouri Botanical Garden, 2345 Tower Grove Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, U.S.A. ANN. MissouRI BOT. GARD. 65: 650-655. 1978. 0026-6493/78/0650-0655/$00.75/0 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.58 on Thu, 25 Aug 2016 05:04:00 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 1978] GOLDBLATT-CYTOLOGY IN CORNALES 651 Mitotic studies were made in the case of Mastixia trichotoma, where a count was obtained from tapetal cells of developing anthers, and from root tips in Camptotheca, Cornus capitata and Curtisia. Camptotheca cuttings were supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Introduction Station, Chico, California, and grown at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Curtisia and Cornus capitata were grown from seed collected in the wild and also grown at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Root tips were pretreated in 0.003 M hydroxyquinoline for five hours at refrigerator temperature. After fixation they were hydrolyzed in 10% HCI and stained in lactopropionic orcein (Goldblatt, 1976). Chromosome counts obtained in the study are listed in Table 1, where collection data and voucher information is also given.