bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A preliminary account of aerial plant biomass in fynbos communities of the Mediterranean-type climate zone of the Cape Province
Authors: Kruger F. J.
Published: July 2015

Aerial plant biomass has been sampled by harvesting on several sites in fynbos communities of the south­western Cape Province. Biomass in stands of about two years old ranged from about 2 200 kg per ha to about 7 500 kg per ha. Mature stands comprised about 11 000 to 15 000 kg per ha in heaths and 15 000 to 26 000 kg per ha in sclerophyllous scrub. The data indicate a maximum annual growth rate of 1 000 to 4 000 kg per ha early in the development of a stand, but growth rates appear to decline rapidly as communities age. Young stands are dominated by hemicryptophytes, which comprise about 2 000 to  6  000 kg per ha, or about 60 to 75 per cent of the biomass in stands of about four years old. Shrubs become prominent later, but the hemicryptophytes persist. The data indicate that the biomass, growth rates and the shape of the growth curves of fynbos communities are on the whole similar to those of analogous vegetation in other zones of mediterranean type climate. However, there are important structural differences in that analogues of the northern hemisphere (garrigue, chaparral) do not have a significant component of persistent hemicrytophytes. Although Australian heath communities do have this feature, the hemicryptophytes are not as prominent as in fynbos.
Notes on the genus Ficinia: F. pygmaea, F limosa. F clandestina and nine new taxa from the south-western Cape. South Africa
Authors: Arnold T. H. , Gordon-Gray K. D.
Published: July 2015

Nine new taxa are described and a new combination is made in the genus Ficinia (Cyperaceae). An examination of F. pygmaea Boeck. and F. limosa Levyns leads to the conclusion that these two species are conspecific.F. clandestina (Steud.) Boeck., endemic to Ethiopia, is considered not to belong to Ficinia. Its true identity is unknown.
Southern African Loranthaceae and Viscaceae: new taxa * and new combinations
Authors: Wiens Delbert
Published: July 2015

Two new genera are named: Pedistylis Wiens with the type species P. galpinii (Schinz ex Sprague) Wiens and Vanwykia Wiens with the type species V. remota (Bak. Sprague) Wiens. Three new species and one new subspecies are described:  Plicosepalus amplexicaulis Wiens,  Tapinanthus crassifolius Wiens,  Viscum oreophilum Wiens, and  V. capense L.f. subsp. hoolei Wiens. The following nomenclatural changes are made:  Actinanthella wyliei (Sprague) Wiens, Tapinanthus forbesii (Sprague) Wiens,  T. leendertziae (Sprague) Wiens,  T. kraussianus (Meisn.) Danser subsp. transvaalensis (Sprague) Wiens,  T. natalitius (Meisn.) Danser subsp. zeyheri (Harv.) Wiens, Tieghemia bolusii (Sprague) Wiens and T. rogersii (Sprague ex Burtt Davy) Wiens.
The doubtful virtue of splitting families
Authors: Van Steenis C. G. G. J
Published: July 2015

The criteria for splitting recognized families are discussed, with critical remarks on the arguments sometimes given for the splitting off of new families on the basis of features such as habit and homogeneity. Some examples are provided of the unnecessary creation of additional families.
Apiaceae: a new species of Peucedanum, from Natal
Authors: Arnold T. H.
Published: July 2015

No abstract available.
CYPERACEAE
Authors: Vorster P.
Published: July 2015

THE IDENTITY AND TYPIFICATION OF  KYLLINGA CAPENSIS
MYRTACEAE
Authors: Van Wyk A. E.
Published: July 2015

SYZYGIUM PONDOENSE REDISCOVERED
ORCHIDACEAE
Authors: Van Steenis C. G. G. J
Published: July 2015

NOTES ON A SAPROPHYTIC ORCHID GENUS NEW TO SOUTH AFRICA
A synecological account of the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve. I. The phytosociology of the Witwatersrand geological system
Authors: Bredenkamp G. J.
Published: July 2015

The vegetation of the Witwatersrand System of the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve is analysed and classified according to the Braun-Blanquet table method. Descriptions of the plant communities include habitat features, differentiating species groups, as well as prominent and less conspicuous species for the tree, shrub and herbaceous layers. The habitat factors that are associated with differences in vegetation are mainly altitude, aspect and rockiness of the soil surface, but soil depth, soil texture and slope are also factors of considerable importance. The classification results in very natural communities which represent different ecosystems.
Notes on the vegetation of the Sani Pass area of the southern Drakensberg
Authors: Killick D. J. B.
Published: July 2015

The vegetation of the Sani Pass area of the southern Drakensberg between 2 600-3 260 m is briefly described and illustrated. Air temperature and rainfall data are provided. A reference is made to the  Themeda triandra Grassland occurring on the summit of the Drakensberg at Ngwangwana Pass (Thamatuwe Pass), some 30 km south of Sani Pass.
THE IDENTITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF CEROPEGIA ZEYHERI
Authors: Dyer R. A.
Published: July 2015

No abstract available
TURNERACEAE
Authors: Obermeyer A. A.
Published: July 2015

A NEW COMBINATION IN  TRICLICERAS
Miscellaneous note
Authors: Van Steenis C. G. G. J
Published: July 2015

GREGARIOUS FLOWERING IN THE MONOCARPIC GENUS  ISOGLOSSA (ACANTHACEAE)
Studies in the Hypoxidaceae. III. The genus Pauridia
Authors: Thompson M. F.
Published: July 2015

The genus Pauridia is revised and two species are recognized: P. minuta (L.f.) Dur. Schinz and P. longituba M. F. Thompson. Line drawings, distribution maps and scanning electron micrographs of the pollen are included.
FABACEAE
Authors: Ross J. H.
Published: July 2015

NOTES ON PROSOPIS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
FLACOURTIACEAE
Authors: Killick D. J. B.
Published: July 2015

NOTES ON FLACOURTIACEAE
POACEAE
Authors: Smook L. , Stirton C.
Published: July 2015

NATURALIZED AGROSTIS IN SOUTH AFRICA:  AGROSTIS AVENACEA AND  A. MONTEVIDENSIS
RUTACEAE
Authors: Retief Elizabeth , Finkelstein N.
Published: July 2015

THE CORRECT NAME FOR FAGARA OVATIFOLIOLATA
XYRIDACEAE
Authors: Ellis R. P. , Manders R. , Obermeyer A. A.
Published: July 2015

ANATOMICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE PEDUNCLE OF XYRIS CAPENSIS
Gross vegetation changes in the dune area between Richards Bay and the Mfolozi River, 1937—1974
Authors: Weisser P. J. , Marques F.
Published: July 2015

Marked changes in dune vegetation as shown on air photos taken in 1937 and 1974 are described and quantified. About fifty-five per cent of the study area changed from one mapping unit to another. The changes are due mainly to secondary successions e.g. from grassland to  Acacia karroo Woodland and  Acacia karroo Woodland to Secondary Dune Forest. They result from protection by the Department of Forestry, which is also responsible for extensive afforestation. It is estimated that under the existing favourable climatic conditions it takes some dune grassland only 25-60 years to develop to mature Acacia karroo Woodland and a further 30 to 150 years to proceed to Secondary Dune Forest.
Towards a structural-functional classification of fynbos: a comparison of methods
Authors: Linder P. , Campbell B. M.
Published: July 2015

The need for a classification of the vegetation of the fynbos region is stressed. In the present work we have evaluated some structural-functional approaches that could be used to classify and describe fynbos.  A priori and  a posteriori approaches to classification are reviewed. The a posteriori approach appears to be superior.Test data derived from 21 plots from a range of fynbos types were used to test some methods of collecting and analysing structural-functional information for an  a posteriori  classification. With respect to data collection, no single method was superior. However, a major improvement on our methodology would be possible if the growth-form system used were to be extended. The classifications that were erected were produced by means of computer-based numerical methods. These methods are essential if large data sets are to be analysed. However, the structural-functional classifications produced by numerical methods should only be regarded as working hypotheses; refinement of the classifications should proceed by intuitive methods. We feel that the a posteriori approach, even though it has its problems, will provide a suitable methodology for an ecologically meaningful classification of fynbos vegetation.
Miscellaneous ecological notes
Authors: Rutherford M. C.
Published: July 2015

ALLOMETRIC BIOMASS RELATIONS APPLIED TO SUCCULENT PLANT FORMS
Some observations on two early Cape florilegia
Authors: Oliver E. G. H.
Published: July 2015

A number of early Cape florilegia and codices exist in libraries in Europe and South Africa. Four of these florilegia are closely related and are housed in the Brenthurst Library, Johannesburg, the Botanical Research Institute, Pretoria, the Bodleian Library, Oxford and the Rijksherbarium, Leiden. The first two are compared and discussed in detail in this article. Arising from this comparison, a new interpretation of the interrelationship and origins of the four florilegia is proposed. The key volume is the florilegium in the Botanical Research Institute, Pretoria.
LILIACEAE
Authors: Obermeyer A. Amelia
Published: July 2015

A NEW SUBGENUS  RHADAMANTHOPSIS AND TWO NEW SPECIES OF  RHADAMANTHUS
LAMIACEAE
Authors: Obermeyer A. Amelia
Published: July 2015

THE STATUS OF  URGINEA EPIGEA
Field identification of roots of woody plants of the savanna ecosystem study area, Nylsvley
Authors: Rutherford M. C.
Published: July 2015

A key for the field identification of fresh root material of 21 woody plant species on the savanna ecosystem study area, Nylsvley, South Africa, is given. Descriptions of macroscopic features of roots as well as photographic descriptions of roots and root systems are provided.
Phytogeography of fynbos
Authors: Taylor H. C.
Published: July 2015

Previous classifications of the vegetation of the Cape Floristic Region, or Capensis, are outlined. The distinctive features of the Cape flora such as species diversity, endemism and distribution patterns are discussed in an attempt to elucidate the origins and evolution of the principal vegetation type of the region, known today as fynbos. Evidence suggests that the present species-rich Cape flora has mainly evolved in and radiated from the southwestern part of Capensis, an area where a true mediterranean-type climate is found.
OBITUARIES
Authors: Codd L. E.
Published: July 2015

JOHN PHILLIP HARISON ACOCKS (1911-1979) ADOLF JOSEPH WILHELM BAYER (1900-1978) ROBERT HAROLD COMPTON (1886-1979)
Revision of Melhania in southern Africa
Authors: Verdoorn I. C.
Published: July 2015

The 13 species of Melhania in southern Africa are revised. Among the problems resolved is a long-standing one concerning the identities of M. rehmannii Szyszyl. and  M. griquensis H. Bol., the latter in its strict sense being relegated to synonymy o f the former.
The Eriosema cordatum complex. II. The Eriosema cordatum and E. nutans groups
Authors: Stirton C. H.
Published: July 2015

The Eriosema cordatum E. Mey. complex is segregated into a number of species. E. cordatum E. Mey. is retained as a polymorphic species and two allied species,  E. lucipetum C. H. Stirton and  E. zuluense C. H. Stirton are described as new. Four additional species E. buchananii Bak. f. , E. nutans Schinz, E. psoraleoides (Lam.) G. Don and E. parviflorum E. Mey. are revised and excluded from the  E. cordatum group.
Notes on the taxonomy of Rubus in southern Africa
Authors: Stirton C. H.
Published: July 2015

The taxonomy of Rubus in South Africa is beset with problems. These include the introduction of extra-African species as ornamentals and crops, the apparent segregation of new forms and finally hybridization with indigenous species. These problems are compounded by poor and incomplete collecting of Rubus in South Africa, and by the difficulty of relating introduced taxa to the many and varied species, varieties and ecotypes occurring in other countries.
Taxonomic studies in the Disinae. V. A revision of the genus Monadenia
Authors: Linder H. P.
Published: July 2015

The genus Monadenia (Disinae, Orchidaceae) is revised. Sixteen species arranged in four sections are recognized. The distribution of each species is plotted, and 12 species are illustrated. A hypothesis on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is presented.
Taxonomic studies in the Disinae. VI. A revision of the genus Herschelia
Authors: Linder H. P.
Published: July 2015

The genus  Herschelia (Disinae, Orchidaceae) is revised. Sixteen species, one subspecies and one variety are recognized. Two new species from tropical Africa (H. chimanimaniensis Linder and H. praecox Linder) and a new variety from the Cape Province H. lugens (H. Bol.) Kraenzl. var. nigrescens Linder are described. Three new combinations are made by transferring the two species of Forficaria and  Disa sect. Microperistera (one species) to Herschelia. Thirteen species are illustrated, and the nomenclature and the available information about the habitats of the taxa are discussed. The species are grouped into two subgenera, one of which is further divided into two sections and four series. This classification is based on the putative phylogeny, as determined by the method devised by Wagner (1962).
COMMELINACEAE
Authors: Obermeyer A. A.
Published: July 2015

A NEW COMBINATION IN COMMELINA
CYPERACEAE: ECOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS AND POSSIBLE CONVERGENCE IN FICINIA ARENICOLA VAR.ERECTA AND MARISCUS DURUS
Authors: Arnold T. H. , Voster P. J.
Published: July 2015

ECOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS AND POSSIBLE CONVERGENCE IN FICINIA ARENICOLA VAR.ERECTA AND MARISCUS DURUS
CYPERACEAE: A NEW SUBSPECIES OF GLADIOLUS MICROCARPUS
Authors: Obermeyer A. A.
Published: July 2015

A NEW SUBSPECIES OF GLADIOLUS MICROCARPUS
ORCHIDACEAE
Authors: Immelman Kathleen
Published: July 2015

NOTES ON SOUTH AFRICAN SPECIES OF HOLOTHRIX
POACEAE
Authors: Gibbs Russell G. E.
Published: July 2015

A NEW COMBINATION IN  ERIOCHLOA
POACEAE
Authors: Kok P. D. F.
Published: July 2015

NOTES ON  DIGITARIA IN SOUTH AFRICA
VITACEAE
Authors: Retief E.
Published: July 2015

A NEW SPECIES OF  CYPHOSTEMMA FROM THE TRANSVAAL
Phytogeography and speciation in the vegetation of the eastern Cape
Authors: Gibbs Russell G. E. , Robinson E. R.
Published: July 2015

The eastern Cape is a region of variable environmental factors, with a flora estimated at about 3 600 -4 000 species and encompassing 21 of Acocks’s (1975) veld types. It lies at the edges of the major phytochoria present in southern Africa, with many tropical species reaching the southern and western limits o f their distribution, and many south-western Cape and Karoo species reaching the northern and eastern limits of their distribution. The apparently low incidence o f species endemic to the eastern Cape may be the result of selection for ‘generalist’ genotypes and the close proximity of different phytochoria, which may allow species to migrate between phytochoria to fill niches resulting from environmental change.
Leaf anatomy of the South African Danthonieae (Poaceae). IV. Merxmuellera drakensbergensis and M. stereophylla
Authors: Ellis R. P.
Published: July 2015

The leaf blade anatomy of  Merxmuellera drakensbergensis (Schweick.) Conert and  M. stereophylla (J. G. Anders.) Conert is described and illustrated. These two closely related species have virtually identical leaf anatomy—both the leaf in section and the abaxial epidermis. The close anatomical resemblance between these two species raises doubts about their specific status. This is especially significant when compared with the considerable differences observed between the anatomical ‘forms’ recognized in  M. disticha (Nees) Conert (Ellis, 1980) and M. stricta (Schrad.) Conert (Ellis, 1980a).
Plants used by the Tsonga people of Gazankulu
Authors: Liengme C. A.
Published: July 2015

A study was undertaken in part of the Tsonga homeland, Gazankulu, to identify plants used by these people. A list of Tsonga plant names was extracted from a Tsonga-English dictionary and this was used as a basis for the study. The uses of almost 200 plants were recorded, including medicine, food, building materials, firewood, household utensils, implements, implement handles and toys. This information is presented in the form of an annotated list of  the plants. This is followed by a discussion of some of the more important uses. Some of the aspects of Tsonga taxonomy are briefly discussed and illustrated with examples.
A brief account of coast vegetation near Port Elizabeth
Authors: Taylor H. C. , Morris J. W.
Published: July 2015

The environment and vegetation of an area of coast north-east of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, are briefly described. Five major vegetation categories are recognized. These are: 1.  Scaevola thunbergii Pioneer Vegetation of  littoral dunes and  Ficinia lateralis Sedgeland of calcrete gravel; 2.  Olea exasperata Bush,  Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus Bushclumps and Dune Woodland; 3. Sundays River Scrub; 4. Fynbos of calcrete areas; and 5.  Themeda triandra Grassland. Invasion of the area by Acacia cyclops (Australian W'attle) is described. A recommendation for the conservation of the area as a nature reserve is made.
Changes in the herb layer of the riverine woodland in the Sengwa Wildlife Research Area, Zimbabwe
Authors: Guy P. R.
Published: July 2015

The changes in the dominant species of the herb layer, in particular Blumea gariepina DC., of riverine woodlandin the Sengwa Wildlife Research Area in Zimbabwe, were monitored over a period o f five years. Factors contributing to these changes appear to have been rainfall, utilization and interspecific competition.
Monitoring Phragmites australis increases from 1937 to 1976 in the Siyai Lagoon (Natal, South Africa) by means of air photo interpretation
Authors: Weisser P. J. , Parsons R. J.
Published: July 2015

The colonization o f the Siyai Lagoon on the north coast of Natal by Phragmites australis was studied by means of  air photo interpretation. It was possible to locate and estimate P. australis areas for 1957 (0,74 ha), 1965 (1,65 ha), 1969 (1,93 ha) and 1976 (2,94 ha). Phragmites australis first inhabited the shores of the middle section o f the lagoon followed by rapid expansion in the lower section. The upper section was colonized only at its lower end by expansion from the middle section. It is suggested that P. australis was unsuccessful in this section because of competition by the  Hibiscus tiliaceus—Barringtonia racemosa  Lagoon Fringe Forest. This same community is shading out  P. australis in some places. The notable increase in the rate of advance of land and littoral vegetation into the Siyai Lagoon was caused by sugar farming activities leading to erosion and sedimentation in the lagoon. A vegetation age gradient was observed from the upper section to the mouth region. The colonization of most of the Siyai Lagoon except the immediate mouth zone by  P. australis Reedswamp and  Hibiscus tiliaceus—Barringtonia racemosa Lagoon Fringe Forest, can be expected before the turn of the century. Dredging and mechanical control of vegetation will become necessary if major open water spaces are to be maintained.
Structural and floristic classifications of Cape Mountain Fynbos on Rooiberg, southern Cape
Authors: Taylor H. C. , Van der Meulen F.
Published: July 2015

Structure and floristic composition of the plant cover were used to establish separate classifications of plant communities in Mountain Fynbos on Rooiberg, South Africa. The structural units and floristic associations closely correlate with each other and their distribution reflects the major environmental influences, aspect and altitude. It is concluded that, despite the preliminary character of the survey, resource inventories of this type are suitable as a foundation for park management.
FABACEAE
Authors: Stirton C. H.
Published: July 2015

A NEW SPECIES OF INDIGOFERA FROM THE SOUTH-WEST CAPE
Leaf anatomy of the South African Danthonieae (Poaceae). VII. Merxmuellera dura and M. rangei
Authors: Ellis R. P.
Published: July 2015

The leaf blade anatomy and the abaxial epidermal histology of Merxmuellera arundinacea (Berg.) Conert and M. cincta (Nees) Conert are described and illustrated. These two species resemble one another morphologically and are the only representatives of the genus with open, expanded leaves. They are, nevertheless, clearly distinct anatomically, particularly in the structure of the leaf blade as viewed in transverse section. The anatomy of M. cincta is noteworthy in the possession of additional vascular bundles located immediately below the first order vascular bundles. This vertical arrangement of bundles at differing levels is a unique feature of M. cincta and possibly indicates a need for taxonomic adjustment.
Meiotic studies of some South African cultivars of Lantana camara (Verbenaceae)
Authors: Spies J. J. , Stirton C. H.
Published: July 2015

Lantana camara L. is a polyploid species with a basic chromosome number of 11 (x = l l ) . Chromosome association in 39 cultivars indicated the occurrence of univalents to heptavalents with bivalents predominating. Multivalent association analysis revealed the presence in South Africa of at least four different groups of L. camara at the diploid level. The potential for sexual reproduction must exist, at least at the diploid level, to account for differences in chromosomal behaviour that can only be attributed to hybridization. The possibility exists that the basic chromosome number may be lower than 11, or else postspeciation genomic evolution must have occurred. No cytogenetical correlation exists between the South African and Indian cultivars. The number of chiasmata per genome increases with an increase in the polyploid level. Most multivalents are of the chain type. Univalents during diakinesis are the result of asynapsis. Triploid and pentaploid plants display a markedly abnormal meiosis.  L. camara is a segmental allopolyploid species.
Embryo sac development in some South African cultivars of Lantana camara
Authors: Spies J. J. , Stirton C. H.
Published: July 2015

Twenty embryo sacs from each of 20 different  Lantana camara L. cultivars naturalized in South Africa were examined. The normal sexual embryo sacs were monosporic 8-nucleated embryo sacs of the polygonum type and were encountered in 55% of the material examined. Several deviations from this pattern were recorded. Occasionally one of the nuclei failed to develop into a synergid, resulting in three polar nuclei. Contrary to published information, the antipodal cells did not increase in size, nor was there an increase in the number of nuclei per cell. Although the occurrence of sexuality is confirmed, no definite evidence exists for the occurrence of apomixis. The occurrence of two embryo sacs per locule might be the result of either apospory or of sexuality whereby two embryo sacs were formed from two megaspores.
Annual production fraction of aboveground biomass in relation to plant shrubbiness in savanna
Authors: Rutherford M. C.
Published: July 2015

A new means of estimating the annual production fraction of aboveground biomass of woody plants along a full shrub-tree continuum in savanna is presented. A measure of shrubbiness was found to be quantitatively definable over a shrub-tree continuum, to closely relate to the annual production fraction and to provide a single criterion for defining shrub and tree forms in South African savanna vegetation. It is proposed that in South African savanna, shrubs be defined as perennial woody plants with an annual production fraction of greater than 10% and trees with that less than or equal to 10%.
LAMIACEAE
Authors: Codd L. E.
Published: July 2015

A NEW SUBSPECIES IN  OCIMUM
Southern African species of Mentha L. (Lamiaceae)
Authors: Codd L. E.
Published: July 2015

The species of Mentha L. occurring in Southern Africa are reviewed and a key is provided to two indigenous and one naturalized species.  M. wissii Launert is reduced to M. longifolia (L.) Huds. subsp. wissii (Launert) Codd.
APOCYNACEAE
Authors: Codd L. E.
Published: July 2015

THE CORRECT AUTHOR CITATION FOR  PACHYPODIUM SUCCULENTUM
CELASTRACEAE
Authors: Codd L. E.
Published: July 2015

A NEW NAME FOR  HARTOGIA THUNB. EX L.f.
A study of wood use for fuel and building in an area of Gazankulu
Authors: Liengme C. A.
Published: July 2015

The utilization of wood for fuel and building timber was studied in a 13 000 ha area of Gazankulu, near Giyani. Headloads of firewood brought in by eight of the 978 families present were monitored during six periods in a year. The two most important sources of firewood are  Colophospermum mopane and  Combretum apiculatum. Firewood consumption is estimated at an average of 14,9 kg per family per day. The annual demand for firewood in the whole study area is, therefore, approximately 5 300 tonnes. Living-huts and storage-huts in the process of being built were examined. The mean volumes of wood in living-huts and typical storage-huts are 1,30 m3 and1,09 m3, respectively. 89 living- and 80 storage-huts were built in a year. The demand for finished timber in the study area in that year was approximately 231 tonnes. Timber use has not yet outstripped production, but it will do so soon if alternative timber sources are not provided.
Vascular plants from the Devonian to Lower Cretaceous in southern Africa
Authors: Anderson J. M. , Anderson H. M.
Published: July 2015

The succession of pre-angiospermous megafloras in southern Africa from the Devonian to Lower Cretaceous is outlined. Interrelationships between continental drift, global climatic trends, and floral and faunal evolution are emphasized. Data are given on numbers of assemblages sampled; on species diversity; and on relative abundance of each genus per productive ‘formation’. A total of 79 genera and about 250 species are recognized in the 150 assemblages from the 11 horizons considered. Floras are unknown from the Carboniferous and are as yet undescribed from the Jurassic. Aside from these gaps, a good idea of the floral development is obtained. Diversity lows of around 5 to 10 species per ‘formation’ are witnessed in the Devonian, whereas a peak of 112 species is encountered in the Upper Triassic Molteno Formation. Diversity remains around 20 to 30 species for all other ‘formations’.
Evolution des flores et de la végétation Tertiaires en Afrique, au nord de PEquateur
Authors: Boureau E. , Cheboldaeff-Salard M. , Koeniguer J. -C. , Louvet P.
Published: July 2015

La repartition de la flore Tertiaire en Afrique, três différente de l’actuelle, se comprend si on tient compte de deux facteurs essentiels: la regression des mers épicontinentales vers le nord et la dérive du continent africain. II en résulte qu’á l'Eocêne inférieur, l’équateur se trouvait á environ 1 000 km au nord de sa position actuelle. Ces modifications aboutissent á des transformations importantes de l’environnement climatique et par consequent de la repartition des flores. Cela explique notamment la presence d’une mangrove en Libye avec Sonneratioxylon aubrevillei et en Egypte avec Nipa burtinii.La forêt dense est présente dans le Paléocêne du Tinrhert avec Entandrophragmoxylon normandii (comparable á l’actuel  Entandrophragma angolense). Les formations de foret dense, développées á l’Eocêne, surtout sur le rivage, sont suivies plus au sud, d’une savane qui s’étend davantage á I’Oligocêne et qui peut atteindre la mer. Cependant, on trouve encore en bordure de mer á l’Oligocêne, des espêces de forêt dense comme Entandrophragmoxylon magnieri (comparable á  Entandrophragma candollei) espêce qui avoisine des dépóts deltaiques avec de grands troncs qui indiquent une flore plus sêche (Detarioxylon aegyptiacum, Combretoxylon bussonii et Pterocarpoxylon tibestiense (rapproché du Pterocarpus erinaceus de savane), mais parfois accompagnée de troncs de forêt-galerie (Atherospermoxylon aegyptiacum, Monimiacée). Au Miocene, l’assechement continue et la savane progresse. Les Palmiers apparaissent et des galeries forestieres subsistent, mais même á proximité de la mer, le biotope est sec au Miocene inférieur dans le Nord de l’Afrique. Ce n’est que vers le sud que la végétation hygrophile apparait au niveau du Tibesti avec Myristicoxylon vincentii. Ainsi. prês de la position présente de l’Equateur, la mangrove se retrouve au Sénégal dans le Paléogêne du Cap-Vert avec des pollens de Rhizophoracées. Sonneratiacées, Avicennia et Nipa (Spinizonocolpites) et la forêt dense subsiste dans sa position actuelle entourée d’une savane.
Isotopic evidence for the past climates and vegetation of southern Africa
Authors: Vogel J. C.
Published: July 2015

The stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon can potentially provide evidence of past climates. The most detailed information has been obtained from variations in the oxygen-18 content of foraminifera from ocean floor cores, the analysis of which has produced a record of ocean temperature changes through the Quaternary and beyond. The use of isotope analysis of continental materials to reveal climatic change is more limited, but some advances have been made in recent years. One approach has been to utilize the variations in the isotopic composition of precipitation as recorded in ancient groundwater. Thus groundwater samples from a confined aquifer on the southern Cape coast show a marked rise in temperature since the Last Glacial maximum. The temperature changes during the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene are also reflected in the oxygen-18 content of stalagmites from the Cango caves in the same region. The widespread occurrence of C4 grasses in the warmer summer rainfall areas of southern Africa provides a novel possibility of observing temporal shifts of climatic boundaries. The distinctly high carbon-13 content of C4 plants is clearly reflected in the skeletons of grazers so that faunal material from suitably situated archaeological sites can be used to observe changes in the composition of the local grass-cover. The evidence thus far accumulated suggests only minor changes since the Upper Pleistocene. The combined evidence to date indicates that temperatures and also precipitation in southern Africa have changed since the Last Glacial maximum, about 18 000 years ago, but that shifts in the boundaries of the various veld-types were probably not very extensive.
Vegetation geographical patterns as a key to the past, with emphasis on the dry vegetation types of South Africa
Authors: Werger M. J. A.
Published: July 2015

Southern Africa is characterized by a highly diversified vegetational cover with extremes as contrasting as desert, tropical forest, alpine grassland, or mediterranean type scrub, and many other types in between. This vegetational pattern is strongly correlated to the climatological pattern. It is therefore likely that past changes in climate can still be partly traced in the vegetational pattern, particularly in geographical anomalies, and that study of these patterns provides complementary evidence to palynological research. The following anomalies in the vegetational pattern are briefly discussed: 1. island-wise occurrence of Afro-montane vegetation on mesic, sheltered sites in the southern Sudano- Zambezian Region, in particular in the Highveld grassland/False Karoo transition area; 2. similar westward occurrence of Sudano-Zambezian scrub patches in the Karoo-Namib Region near the Orange/Vaal confluence; 3. scattered occurrence of Sudano-Zambezian woody species in a matrix of Karoo-Namib vegetation in the marginal Karoo-Namib Region; 4. island-wise occurrence of frost-tolerant, dry, karroid dwarf shrub vegetation of predominantly C,-plants on isolated peaks in the winter rainfall area of Namaqualand; 5. peculiar patchy distribution of some succulents in wide areas of climatically rather homogeneous, succulent dwarf shrub vegetation of predominantly CAM-plants in the escarpment area of Namaqualand. a pattern reminiscent of that in many Cape fynbos species. Interpretation of these patterns logically leads to the conclusion that these result from a previously wetter, a previously cooler, or a previously wetter and cooler climate, respectively, over the parts of southern Africa under discussion. This conclusion is compared with published palynological views.
Le bois petrifies de la plaine de la haute Rusizi (Burundi)
Authors: Reeksman M.
Published: July 2015

THE DISCOVERY OF PETRIFIED FOSSILS IN THE HIGH RUSIZI PLAIN (BURUNDI)Palaeobotanical research in Central Africa is still very fragmentary. In Burundi, apart from the very classical and abundant stromatolites of the Mosso (in the south of the country), Sah (1967) has indicated the occurrence of vegetal debris in the fluviolacustrian sediments o f the mid-upper Rusizi plain. These fragments have never been identified, but a study of the pollen grains found in sedimentary layers of the same age has revealed some features of the vegetation and of the climate prevailing in the Upper Neogene period.In November 1978 we discovered in north-western Burundi a deposit of petrified trunks of exceptional size. These fossils had been exposed a short time previously when a small quarry was established. The deposit contained four trunks, two of which were large: length, 1 m; diameter, 90 cm; weight, more than 1 000 kg.Initial macro and submicrospic examination of fragments showed an anatomical structure similar to the structure of some fossils described in Kivu (Zaire) and belonging to the family Caesalpiniaceae.Samples were sent to Tervuren (R. Dechamps) and to Liêge (Mrs Demaret) and their joint studies revealed that these trunks belong to the genus Julbernardia and probably to J. globiflora.  Their age would be about 1 200 000 years.Since then, other trunks have been found (at least ten). According to our study, it is concluded that they have a very different structure from those of the previous specimens. Samples were sent to Tervuren and to Liêge for further study and the conclusions from the specialists should be available very soon.
La flore des massifs Sahariens: espêces illusoires et endémiques vraies
Authors: Lebrun J. -P.
Published: July 2015

THE FLORA IN THE SOUTHERN SAHARA MOUNTAIN MASSES: ILLUSIVE AND TRUE ENDEMIC SPECIES The mountain masses in the southern part of the Sahara, namely Hoggar, Tassili n 'Ajjer, Air, Tibesti, Ennedi, Jebel Marra and Gebel Elba, have fascinated botanists to such an extent that there has been successive and even multiple creation of new species. This situation can be partly explained by the fact that those who were interested in these areas, although undoubtedly world experts in the Mediterranean area, have less knowledge of the African tropical flora. As a result, certain botanical literature, some quite recent, abounds in binomials, some merely synonyms of older names of well-known species. The problem is aggravated by the fact that a number of authors do not keep up with recent literature. A breakdown of the 85 species previously accepted as endemics reveals that: 37 were incorrectly identified (Table I) ; 7 changed their names either for systematic or nomenclatural reasons (Table 2); I is known only from the type (Quezelia) and requires further collection; 31 belong to difficult genera and require further study (p. 513); and 9 are true endemics (p. 514). This study shows that the number of endemic species from the mountainous enclaves in the dry northern-tropical areas is considerably lower than previously estimated. With more material and with the aid of distribution maps, it is now possible to put the number of true endemics at 12 species.
Contribution á l’étude des lichens du Kivu (Zaire), du Rwanda et du Burundi. VII. Approche écogéographique de la flore et de la végétation lichéniques dans Pest de P Afrique centrale
Authors: Lambinon J. , Sersiaux E.
Published: July 2015

A short historical record of the lichenological exploration of tropical Africa, especially Kivu (Zaire), Rwanda and Burundi is given, including an account of the material collected and of the present state of taxonomic knowledge of the lichens. Several phytogeographical categories can be recognized in this area; they are (some with significant variants): subcosmopolitan, temperate-tropical, pantropical, paleotropical, afro-neotropical, guineo-congolian, sudano-zambezian, zambezian-afrooriental and zambezian, central African lakes endemic, afromontane and afroalpine. The distributional types of the lichens within the studied area are briefly described, as well as their importance in the main vegetation types.
Le recensement des plantes vasculaires et les originalités du peuplement végétal des monts Loma en Sierra Leone (Afrique Occidentale)
Authors: Jaeger P.
Published: July 2015

A FLOR1STIC INVENTORY OF THE LOMA MOUNTAINS IN SIERRA LEONE Our surveys in Sierra Leone of the flora of the Loma Mountains and the foothill country have enabled us to produce an inventory of the I 576 species, subspecies or varieties of Angiosperms belonging to 757 genera and 135 families. Gymnosperms are lacking. As in any other natural region, the Loma flora is the result of a long and complex process which took place in much earlier times. Under the influence of climatic factors, migration, speciation and also anthropological action, floristic elements with very different origins have ultimately arranged themselves into a particularly diversified but unstable mosaic and it is for us to unravel the mechanisms that have brought this about.
The phytogeography of Mount Kulal, Kenya, with special reference to Compositae, Leguminosae and Gramineae
Authors: Hepper F. N.
Published: July 2015

Mt Kulal, in the lowlying desert of NE Kenya, reaches an altitude of 2 295 m. A synopsis of the vegetation types occurring there is provided, with totals of the species recorded in each type. The three families are analysed phytogeographically and observations are made about their chorology. A conclusion is reached that Mt Kulal is a stepping stone for the distribution of montane plants between highland East Africa and Ethiopia and not an outlier of either bloc.
Geography of Iridaceae in Africa
Authors: Goldblatt P.
Published: July 2015

Iridaceae, a family of worldwide distribution, comprises some 1 500 species and 85 genera. It exhibits its greatest radiation in Sub-Saharan Africa, where over half the species and some 48 genera occur. 45 of which are endemic. All three major subfamilial taxa are represented in Africa, where Ixioideae are almost entirely restricted, with extensions into Eurasia. Areas of greatest concentration are either montane or in areas of winter rainfall. In southern Africa alone, there are some 850 species in 46 genera, making the family the fifth largest in the flora. In the Cape Floristic Region there are 620 species, and the family is the fourth largest in this area. All major infrafamilial groups occur in the Cape Region where most of the variability as well as generic radiation is encountered. The idea of a southern origin for Iridaceae in Africa is analysed systematically, and is correlated with the major climatic changes that occurred in Africa since the mid-Tertiary, and culminated in the seasonally dry climates along the west coast. The establishment of mediterranean climate in the southwest provided the stimulus for massive speciation and radiation of the family there. Plio-Pleistocene uplift along the eastern half of the African continent led to the establishment of substantial upland areas and allowed the spread of some genera, such as Romulea, Gladiolus, Moraea, and Hesperantha into tropical Africa. Short-distance dispersal probably accounts for the presence of genera such as Gladiolus, Gynandriris and Romulea in Eurasia.
Ethiopian flora project
Authors: Hedberg O.
Published: July 2015

After thorough planning, an Ethiopian Flora Project has recently been initiated, financed by the Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission from a Swedish grant. The planning was effected by a working group including representatives of the Biology Department at Addis Ababa University and the Institute of Systematic Botany in Uppsala as well as some international experts selected by AETFAT, and was finalized by an Ethiopian Flora Committee. The project leader is Professor Tewolde Berhan G. Egziabher in Addis Ababa, assisted by an Ethiopian secretariat under the Director of the National Herbarium. A European counterpart secretariat, headed by the author, has also been organized with Dr I. Hedberg as co-ordinator. Collecting expeditions to insufficiently known areas, loans from the Addis Ababa Herbarium to collaborating taxonomists, and other activities inside Ethiopia are organized by the Ethiopian secretariat, whereas the Uppsala secretariat is responsible for the initiation and co-ordination of the taxonomic revisions and family accounts needed for the Flora. Collaborators for several of the roughly 200 families of Ethiopian vascular plants have already been secured, but many more remain to be covered. AETFAT members with specialist knowledge of the remaining families are requested to help fill the gaps in our list of contributors.
The distribution of Monechma (Acanthaceae) species in southern Africa
Authors: Munday Joan
Published: July 2015

The distribution of 19 species of Monechma in southern Africa is given and the manner in which their occurrence is related to rainfall is discussed. The possibility of a centre of speciation lying in south-west Namibia/South West Africa is considered.
Comments on primitive South African crop sorghums and the evolution of sorghum races in Africa
Authors: Arnold T. H.
Published: July 2015

In recent years considerable research has been carried out on cultivated Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench in an attempt to acquire a more complete and meaningful understanding of the taxonomy, classification, origin and evolution of Africa's most valuable cultivated crop. This work has, however, been restricted mainly to the sorghums in northern and central Africa, with southern Africa largely excluded. In this paper, the morphological variation and distribution of cultivated sorghum races in South Africa is introduced, together with comments on the classification of cultivated sorghums. A new morphological character, the groove at the base of the lower glume of mature, sessile spikelets (developed from a zone of weak, membranous tissue observable in immature spikelets) is evaluated. The degree of development of this groove varies between the different races and is considered to relate directly to their evolution and domestication.
A survey of ethnobotanical research in southern Africa
Authors: Liengme C. A.
Published: July 2015

Existing ethnobotanical information for southern Africa is scattered through anthropological, medical, botanical and other books and journals, making the task of getting at the information fairly difficult. The object of this paper is to provide a unified bibliography on the subject and to review the state of knowledge of ethnobotany in southern Africa as reflected in publications, unpublished manuscripts and museum and herbarium holdings. Those aspects of ethnobotany most needing attention are identified. The information is reviewed on a subject basis.
Domestication of fynbos Proteaceae as a floricultural crop
Authors: Brits G. J. , Jacobs G. , Vogts M. M.
Published: July 2015

Domestication of a South African group of Proteaceae, the proteas, began with their cultivation as exotics in Europe. A growing local interest in their cultivation climaxed in the publication of a popular handbook in 1958. Commercial interest in cultivation and seed sources was stimulated and led to a botanical and horticultural survey of useful species throughout their distribution range in the fynbos. Information pamphlets on cultivation requirements and seed were eventually supplied to the public as an official service. Up to 1970 cut-flowers were harvested in limited quantities, mainly from the western Cape folded mountains, and sold on the European markets. During the last decade, the export trade in fresh Proteaceae flowers has become a significant factor in the national economy. However, the original system of harvesting from the natural habitat has caused serious marketing problems, for instance, poor cut-flower quality and an erratic supply of many species. Increased exploitation has also led to unprecedented disruptive pressure on the fynbos biome system, particularly on the Proteaceae-component. It is clear that the scientific cultivation of the protea family as a floricultural crop is necessary' for its sustained growth as an economic factor, as well as for its natural conservation. The present paper gives an overview of the developments that led to the rise of the fynbos Proteaceae as a commercially cultivated crop in South Africa.
Annual habit and apomixis as drought adaptations in Selaginella tenerrima
Authors: Kornaś J. , Jankun A.
Published: July 2015

Selaginella tenerrima A. Braun ex Kuhn, widely distributed in the savanna-woodland and savanna zones of tropical Africa, is strictly annual. Dormant megaspores survive the yearly drought. Apomixis has been confirmed through laboratory cultures. Microsporangia are usually absent or very few. and the sporophyte chromosome number is triploid: 2n = 30.
Interaction of ecology, taxonomy and distribution in some Mesembryanthemaceae
Authors: Hartmann H. E. K.
Published: July 2015

Many taxa of the family Mesembryanthemaceae show close correlations between distribution and environmental factors, e.g. occurrence on limestone or quartzite only, but few cases have been studied in detail. Recent investigations in anatomy, morphology, life cycles, physiology, and in energetic properties indicate that fundamentally different patterns are developed in adaptation to arid conditions, even in reaction to identical edaphic and climatic factors.On the other hand, little is known about the immediate influence of changes in the natural environment. Studies in populations of the subgenus Cephalophyllum of the genus  Cephalophyllum N.E. Br. show strong correlations between precipitation data and habit, which can superimpose genetic dispositions. In addition, growth forms are well adapted to certain types of plant communities, so that superficially, a diffuse structural pattern results.Long term studies, in the field and in the greenhouse, of growth forms in relation to time, to precipitation, and to associations, allow first suggestions for adaptive pathways in the evolution of the group, and the results form a basis for taxonomic decisions in this highly confused taxon. Finally, the example offers aspects for the better understanding of interaction between ecology and distribution data.
Dune vegetation dynamics from 1937 to 1976 in the Mlalazi-Richards Bay area of Natal, South Africa
Authors: Weisser P. J. , Müller R.
Published: July 2015

Dune vegetation changes were studied qualitatively with the aid of air photos taken in 1937, 1957 and 1976.Results were transferred to 1:10 000 scale maps. In 1937 roughly 80% of the dune forest habitat was occupied by planted fields and post cultivation serai stages such as Secondary Grasslands and Dwarf Shrubland, Secondary Scrub and Acacia karroo Woodland. In three areas, the vegetation cover had been completely destroyed and drift sands had formed. In the 1950’s the trend of vegetation degradation was changed by the implementation of an afforestation programme by the Department of Forestry. The 1976 air photos indicate that the post cultivation serai stages of 1937 had been largely replaced by forest plantations. In secondary, unafforested areas the vegetation is evolving rapidly towards a Secondary Dune Forest.
Recovery of eastern Cape heathland after fire
Authors: Jacot Guillarmod A. M. F. G.
Published: July 2015

In parts of the eastern Cape, fire is increasing in frequency and intensity in heathland, due mainly to the presence of adventive exotic tree species. These adventives also smother the indigenous vegetation under a dense canopy or with leaf litter. This heathland* flora requires a long period to reach its climax and under present conditions, this is rarely attained.