Flora Zambesiaca Area Research Articles

Emiliella luwiikae (Compositae: Senecioneae: Senecioninae), a new species from northwestern Zambia

Emiliella luwiikae (Compositae: Senecioneae: Senecioninae), from northwestern Zambia, is described and illustrated; it is compared with E. drummondii. Seven species, one with two varieties, are now recognised in the genus; four species are now recorded from the Flora Zambesiaca area. A key and a table of distribution of all the taxa are provided. The presence of a single collection of Emiliella exigua from northwestern Zambia extends the range of this diminutive species and shows some variation in leaf size between the protologue and material from Congo (Kinshasa); this species is illustrated for the first time.

Four new species of Asparagus (Asparagaceae) from the Flora Zambesiaca area

Four new species of Asparagus (Asparagaceae) from the Flora Zambesiaca area are described and illustrated; the need for more collections is highlighted to assess their conservation status. Asparagus botswanicus Sebsebe is known from a single locality in Botswana; A. chimanimanensis Sebsebe occurs in Zimbabwe and Mozambique; A. richardsiae Sebsebe is known in Zambia and A. radiatus Sebsebe is from a small restricted area (Goba) in Mozambique and Umbeluzi Gorge in Swaziland.

A Synopsis of Vitex L. in the Flora Zambesiaca Area

A synopsis is given of Vitex L. (Labiatae subfamily Viticoideae) in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe, prior to the publication of the account in Flora Zambesiaca. A checklist of taxa with types and synonyms, a multi-access key and discussions on nomenclature, distribution, ecology and diagnostic features are provided. No new species are described; numerous names currently recognised are put into synonymy; various species are typified.

Dioscoreaceae of South-Central Africa

Summary. The species of Dioscoreaceae known from Namibia (Caprivi Strip), Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique (the Flora Zambesiaca area) are listed and described, with full regional synonymy. Keys are provided to facilitate the identification of male, female (fruiting) and sterile material. Notes on nomenclature, ecology and uses are also provided. One new combination is made, D. preussii Pax subsp. hylophila (Harms) Wilkin, and D. preussii subsp. preussii is recorded for the first time from South-Central Africa in Mozambique.

The Genus Eugenia L. (Myrtaceae) in East Africa

Summary. The genus Eugenia is revised for East Africa. Four new species, E. toxanatolica, E. mujindiensis, E. tanaensis, and E. thikaensis, and one new subspecies, E. capernsis subsp. multiflora, are described. Preparation of an account of the family Myrtaceae for the Flora of Tropical East Africa is made difficult not only by the presence in the area of some two hundred introduced species of the family (mainly from Australia), many so widely grown or even naturalized that they must be included, but also by the intrinsic complexity of the two indigenous genera Eugenia and the ecologically very important Syzygium Gaertn. No revision of the African species of Eugenia as a whole has been carried out although Engler (1921) gave a brief conspectus in key form of the 50 species then recognized. G. J. H. Amshoff wrote accounts for Angola (1970), French Equatorial Africa (1958) and Gabon (1966). I have found the annotations of material she examined during work on these accounts often very helpful. F. White (1977, 1978) after an admittedly lengthy study of the southern African species considered many taxa previously always treated as valid species no more than subspecies of Eugenia capensis (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Harv. ex Sond.; his approach was, despite examination of a great deal of material, highly theoretical and preconceived ideas were not dislodged by the abundance of available specimens. In this genus specific differences are indeed slight but correlated with habit and habitats. Neither Van Wyk (1979) nor Arnold & De Wet (1993) mention White's work and it is clear that it is not accepted in South Africa. A study of the South African taxa confirms that this is justified. In only one case is White's treatment relevant to East Africa and that is in relation to E. capensis being widespread up the east coast of Africa; even here it is disturbingly variable. The situation is rather worse in the Flora Zambesiaca area. At least in South Africa there had been previous revisions and accounts of the genus to fall back on but further north little had been done. Once again White has considered very disparate material over a wide area to be subspecies of E. capensis; e.g., the name E. nyassensis Engl., based on an unlocalised specimen at Kew from Malawi, has been used for many specimens not one of which shows the characteristic calyx and stem indumentum. None of the inland populations appear to me sufficiently related to the coastal ones to allow them to be treated as subspecies. It has seemed to me

Lectotypification of Eriocaulon stenophyllum R. E. Fr.

Summary. The type collection of Eriocaulon stenophyllum R. E. Fr. is found to consist of three different species. One is selected here as the lectotype. E. alaeum Kimpouni is reduced to synonymy. The main characteristics of the species are briefly outlined. accidentally with it, explaining the scrappy nature of the type material. An examination of the flowers has shown that the material comprises three different species. The small ephemeral Eriocaulon are often superficially extremely similar, although dissection will reveal obvious differences in floral structure and seed-coat morphology. It is also not uncommon for several species to grow together. The dissected capitula in the capsule clearly belong to E. mutatum N. E. Br., a readily recognizable species with dimerous flowers and broadly winged sepals in the female flowers. This element is here distinguished as Fries 634b. One of the two plants in the second capsule and one mounted on the sheet (illustrated in Fries 1916, t. 16, fig. 3) are another species, here distinguished as Fries 634c. This does not match any species known from the Flora Zambesiaca area. The female flowers have three subequal ovate-navicular sepals, but the petals are reduced to minute pegs below the ovary. In these characters it resembles E. hydrophilum Mark6tter, a larger species from the Drakensberg mountains in South Africa. It is not possible to

Two New Orchids from the Flora Zambesiaca Area

A slender terrestrial saprophytic herb 18 25 cm tall, arising from a horizontal or ascending cigar-shaped underground rhizome bearing numerous papery sheathing bracts; roots absent. Leaves lacking. Inflorescence erect, laxly up to 10-flowered; peduncle lacking chlorophyll, with many colourless, loose, broad, sheathing sterile bracts, up to 10 x 8 mm, along length especially in the basal part. Flowers not opening widely, the sepals and petals dull brownish-cream with brown veins, the lip dull cream-coloured with tiny reddish-brown veins; pedicel 5 mm long, the ovary 4 5 mm long but enlarging rapidly after anthesis. Dorsal sepal erect, oblanceolate, acute, 13 15 x 2 2.5 mm. Lateral sepals suberect, similar but slightly shorter and oblique at the base. Petals suberect, clawed, oblanceolate, acute, 9 12 x 1.2 1.5 mm. Lip 3-lobed at the base, deeply concave, c. 7.5 x 3 mm; side lobes small, toothlike; midlobe narrowly elliptic, acute; callus basal, fleshy, bilobed; spur cylindricaltapering, 5 mm long, lying parallel to and adpressed to the lip. Column 4 mm long; pollinia 2, porate, attached by a linear stipe to an oblong gland. Fig. 1.

Notes on the Scrophulariaceae of Zimbabwean inselsbergs, with the description of Lindernia syncerus sp. nov.

AbstractAn account of the 19 Scrophulariaceae found on Zimbabwean inselbergs is given, based on studies of 53 inselbergs. Habitat preferences and importance of inselbergs as habitats are discussed. Lindernia syncerus SEINE, FISCHER & BARTHLOTT from Umfurudzi Safari Area is described. The new combination Crepidorhopalon debilis (SKAN) FISCHER is made, the occurrence of the species is reported for the Flora Zambesiaca Area for the first time.

Revision of the genus Curculigo (Hypoxidaceae) in the Flora Zambesiaca area

Two species of Curculigo; C. pilosa and a new species C. multiflora are presented from the Flora Zambesiaca area. The descriptions, identification key and a distribution map of the species are presented.

Studies in the genus Nervilia (Orchidaceae) in Africa

Taxonomy and nomenclature of six Nervilia species occurring in the Flora Zambesiaca area are revised. Lectotypes or neotypes are selected for all relevant taxa from Africa. The new species N. gassneri is described and the new combination N. kotschyi var. purpurata is made. One widespread African species previously mostly known under the names N. humilis and N. reniformis is shown to be conspecific with the widespread Asian and Australien species N. crociformis.

New Taxa and Taxonomic Changes amongst Herbaceous Euphorbia Species from Southern Tropical Africa

The examination of material from the Flora Zambesiaca area, on loan from the National Herbarium, Harare, provided ample evidence for the need to describe the following new taxa. The geographical subdivisions are those listed in Flora Zambesiaca 1: 21 (1960), and specimens cited are all at Kew and/or Harare. Thanks are due to Christine Grey-Wilson for the illustrations, and to Melanie Thomas for checking the Latin diagnoses.

Vernonia Poskeana (Compositae) and Related Species in South Tropical Africa

Summary. V. poskeana Vatke & Hildebrandt as previously circumscribed for the Flora Zambesiaca area was heterogeneous. In a revised classification, given below, the more distinct of the entities are treated as separate species. A new species (V. samfyana) and a new subspecies (V.poskeana subsp. botswanica) are described and a new combination (V. bractifimbriata) is made. Vernonia poskeana Vatke & Hildebrandt belongs to a group of annual weedy herbs characterized by the combination of linear often strongly revolute leaves, purple corollas, brownish-purple to white inner pappus setae and strongly ribbed achenes tapered to the base. (V. perrottetii is readily distinguished from this group by its larger, distinctly urceolate involucre). Wild (1978b), in his precursor Flora Zambesiaca account of the tribe Vernonieae adopted a broad view of V. poskeana and did not recognise as distinct the several species belonging to the V. poskeana complex. The vegetative differences within the complex are small but can nevertheless be related to discontinuities in the variation of fruit and capitulum characters, and these together delimit clearcut taxa. For this reason a narrower concept of V. poskeana, permitting the recognition of all the taxa concerned, is considered to be more appropriate.

Notes on African Euphorbiaceae: XVI

This brief paper presents information needing to be published before the appearance of the account of part of the family for the Flora of Tropical East Africa, now with the editors, and the description of a new taxon for the Flora Zambesiaca area. In Drypetes usambarica, a new variety is described for Tanzania, and its relationship to other varieties of the species tabulated. In Mallotus, a new form of M. oppositifolius var. oppositifolius is described for Zimbabwe. In Phyllanthus, a well-known Linnaean species is neotypified.

Some Notes on the Gemmiferous Species of Asplenium in Tropical East Africa

presence of approximately 420 species, among which are about 75 species of Asplenium. Of the latter, not less than 24 (32%) have been found to regularly or occasionally produce gemman on their fronds. It is interesting to note that nearly the same percentage of gemmiferous species occurs in other parts of tropical Africa: Flora of West Tropical Africa area, 16 of 49 (33%) species gemmiferous (Alston, 1959); Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, 19 of 58 (33%) species gemmiferous (Tardieu-Blot, 1958); Flora Zambesiaca area, 13 of 41 (32%) species gemmiferous (Schelpe, 1970). The gemmiferous species of Asplenium in East Africa can be divided into five groups on the basis of the position of the gemmae on the fronds. The groups are not intended to be natural, but they often do contain taxonomically closely related species. The possible relationships among the species in each group are discussed in the account of the group.

A Revision of the Genus Sacciolepis (Gramineae) in the 'Flora Zambesiaca' Area

Summary. An account of the 16 species of Sacciolepis Nash occurring in the 'Flora Zambesiaca' area, with keys, taxonomic notes, histograms, scatter diagrams and maps showing their complete distribution in Africa. Sacciolepis is a pan-tropical genus with a distribution centred on Africa. The aim of this paper is to revise the species confined to the Flora Zambesiaca area and to trace their distribution throughout their range. Sixteen species are delimited out of a total for Africa of about 25 and for the world of about 38. From the herbarium material deposited at Kew it appears that there are two main centres of diversity in Africa, one in South East Tropical Africa (incorporating the Flora Zambesiaca area) and the other in West Tropical Africa. Outside the continent the genus has a few representatives in Madagascar, India, South East Asia, Australia and Tropical America. DELIMITATION OF THE GENUS Sacciolepis belongs to the large well-defined tropical tribe, the Paniceae, characterized by a spikelet containing two florets of which the lower is male or barren, and the upper hermaphrodite. It is delimited from the type genus Panicum by the strongly saccate nature of the base of the upper glume and to a lesser extent of the lower lemma, and by the inflorescence (with the exception of Sacciolepis curvata and its allies) being a false spike (morphologically a much contracted panicle). Sacciolepis may be keyed out from its near relatives Panicum, Ichnanthus, Thyridacne, Hydrothauma, Hymenachne, Cyrtococcum and Setaria as follows: