scholarly journals A new species of Euclea (Ebenaceae) from ultramafic soils in Sekhukhuneland, South Africa, with notes on its ecology

Bothalia ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Retief ◽  
S. J. Siebert ◽  
A. E. Van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
New Species ◽  
Habitat Preference ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Restricted Range ◽  
Ultramafic Soils ◽  
Small Tree ◽  
Plant Endemism ◽  
A New Species

Euclea sekhukhuniensis Retief, Siebert A.E.van Wyk. a new species with a restricted range in Sekhukhuneland, South Africa, is described, illustrated and compared with other members of the genus. It is a gregarious geoxylic sufthitex forming large, much-branched colonies. The species is closely related to the small tree/shrub E. linearis Zeyh. ex Hiem from which it can be distinguished by its larger fruits, broader leaves and exclusively suffrutex growth form. Geographical range and habitat preference also differ between the two taxa. E. sekhukhuniensis is endemic to the Sekhukhuneland Centre of Plant Endemism, where it is confined to the calcareous, heavy-metal soils of the Steelpoort River Valley.

scholarly journals Gymnosporia swazica (Celastraceae), a new species from southern Africa

Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 192 (4) ◽  
pp. 296
Author(s):  
Marie Jordaan ◽  
Abraham E. Van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Restricted Range ◽  
Small Tree ◽  
African Species ◽  
Diagnostic Characters ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
A New Species

Gymnosporia swazica, a new restricted-range southern African species, is described and illustrated here. Known from only a few localities in Swaziland and bordering parts of South Africa (Mpumalanga and northeastern KwaZulu-Natal), G. swazica grows as an understorey shrub or small tree in forest, often among granite boulders. Diagnostic characters for G. swazica include chartaceous leaves, usually shorter than 25 mm, 3-valved capsules usually 6–7 mm long, which are smooth, green turning yellow, and a white aril partially covering the brownish seed. Its closest relative appears to be G. buxifolia (capsules rugose, mottled white-and-brown), one of the most widespread members of the genus in southern Africa, but it can also be confused with G. maranguensis (capsules red, 2-valved) and G. harveyana (capsules pink to red, 3-valved; aril orange, completely covering the seed).

Gymnosporia sekhukhuniensis (Celastraceae), a new species from South Africa

Phytotaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 408 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-76
Author(s):  
MARIE JORDAAN ◽  
ABRAHAM E. VAN WYK
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Bushveld Complex ◽  
Restricted Range ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Biogeographical Region ◽  
Seed Characters ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Group 1

Gymnosporia sekhukhuniensis, a new species from north-eastern South Africa, is described, illustrated, mapped, and compared with closely related species. It belongs to Gymnosporia sect. Buxifoliae, more specifically Group 1, the members of which are characterized by the capsules being (2)3(4)-valved, rugose or verrucose, and the seeds partially covered by the aril. The new species has a restricted distribution range and is near-endemic to the Sekhukhuneland Centre of Endemism. This biogeographical region rich in restricted-range plants is more or less congruent with surface outcrops of mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks belonging to the Rustenburg Layered Suite of the eastern Bushveld Complex. The range of the new species shows marginal intrusion into the far northern part of the nearby Wolkberg Centre of Endemism, where it is associated with dolomites of the Malmani Subgroup. Gymnosporia sekhukhuniensis is a suffrutex mainly associated with rocky outcrops in open savannah. Diagnostic characters include its dwarf habit (up to 1.6 m tall), capsules that are relatively small (5–8 mm long), woody, scaly-rugose, with hard pointed apices, and leaves that are very laxly arranged on the stems, with some often present on the thorns. Also included is a key to the 10 currently accepted species in G. sect. Buxifoliae Group 1. The taxonomic significance of capsule and seed characters for demarcating sections and species in the genus Gymnosporia is emphasized.

scholarly journals Maerua sebrabergensis (Capparaceae), a new species from Namibia

Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 207 (1) ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wessel Swanepoel
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
Restricted Range ◽  
Small Tree ◽  
Diagnostic Characters ◽  
A New Species

Maerua sebrabergensis, here described as a new species, has a restricted range and is only known from the Zebra Mountains within the Kaokoveld Centre of Endemism, northwestern Namibia. Diagnostic characters for M. sebrabergensis include a geoxylic suffrutescent habit (rarely a small tree), simple, alternate leaves, petaliferous flowers with the disc not or only slightly produced and smooth, cylindrical, slightly torulose fruit. A comparison of some of the more prominent morphological features to differentiate between M. sebrabergensis and its possible nearest relative, M. parvifolia, are provided.

scholarly journals Putterlickia neglecta (Celastraceae), a new species from southern Africa

Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 208 (3) ◽  
pp. 217
Author(s):  
MARIE JORDAAN ◽  
RICHARD G.C. BOON ◽  
ABRAHAM E. VAN WYK
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Small Tree ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
A New Species

Putterlickia neglecta, a new species here described and illustrated, is known from South Africa (Mpumalanga and north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal), Swaziland and southern Mozambique. It is considered a near-endemic to the Maputaland Centre of Endemism. Plants grow as a shrub or small tree in savanna and thicket, or in the understory of inland, coastal and dune forests. Vegetatively it superficially resembles P. verrucosa, the species with which it has hitherto most often been confused. Both species have stems with prominently raised lenticels, but P. neglecta differs from P. verrucosa in having sessile to subsessile leaves with mostly entire, revolute leaf margins, flowers borne on pedicels 8–15 mm long, with petals up to 6 mm long and spreading or slightly recurved. Putterlickia verrucosa has leaves with distinct petioles, spinulose-denticulate margins, much smaller flowers borne on pedicels up to 4 mm long, with petals up to 2 mm long and erect or slightly spreading. The relatively large flowers of P. neglecta resemble those of P. pyracantha, but the latter differs in having stems with obscure or sunken lenticels, leaf margins entire or spinulose-denticulate and inflorescence axes as well as pedicels usually reddish. A comparative table to distinguish among the five currently recognized species of Putterlickia is provided.

A new species of Combretum sect. Ciliatipetala (Combretaceae) from South Africa

Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 434 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
RICHARD G.C. BOON ◽  
MARIE JORDAAN ◽  
ABRAHAM E. VAN WYK
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Leaf Surface ◽  
Radial Wall ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Tangential Wall ◽  
Sand Forest ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
Plant Endemism ◽  
A New Species

Combretum eugeneanum, a new species from northeastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and confined to the Maputaland Centre of Plant Endemism, is described, illustrated, mapped, and compared with southern African members of the genus with which it may be confused. In a narrowly defined genus Combretum, the new species belongs to Combretum sect. Ciliatipetala. In herbaria, it has usually been confused with close relatives C. apiculatum and C. edwardsii, as well as several other more distantly related members of the genus, in particular C. woodii. The new species is also closely related to the recently described C. stylesii. It is readily distinguished as an essentially glabrous woody climber or scrambling shrub needing other vegetation for support, leaf apices rarely apiculate, tertiary veins raised on the adaxial leaf surface, inflorescences few-flowered and subcapitate, upper hypanthium cupuliform, flowers with orange-red centres (discs) and peltate scales comprised of essentially eight radial cells, most of which are subdivided by at least one tangential wall, the resulting outer and inner cell(s) often with at least one additional radial wall. Combretum eugeneanum grows in Sand Forest and associated sandy bushveld, and its range and habitat does not overlap with that of C. edwardsii or C. stylesii, both of which are also very often lianas.

scholarly journals Synsepalum chimanimani (Sapotaceae), a new species from the Chimanimani Mountains of Mozambique and Zimbabwe, with notes on the botanical importance of this area

PhytoKeys ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 133 ◽  
pp. 115-132
Author(s):  
Saba Rokni ◽  
Bart Wursten ◽  
Iain Darbyshire
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Restricted Range ◽  
Small Tree ◽  
Plant Area ◽  
A New Species

Synsepalum chimanimani S.Rokni & I.Darbysh., sp. nov., a small tree endemic to the forests of the southern foothills of the Chimanimani Mountains of Mozambique and Zimbabwe, is described and illustrated. The differences in morphology and distribution between the new species and the related S. kaessneri and S. muelleri, with which it has been confused, are clarified. The new species is globally Endangered due to ongoing habitat loss within its restricted range. The botanical importance and conservation of the Chimanimani foothills is also discussed, and they are highlighted as a candidate Important Plant Area.

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