Vitex fischeri var. keniensis Meerts 2018
Creators: name: Meerts, Pierre
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Lamiales
Lamiaceae
Vitex
Vitex fischeri
Vitex fischeri var. keniensis (turrill) meerts

description: <b>10b.</b> <i>Vitex fischeri</i> var. <i>keniensis</i> (Turrill) Meerts, <b>comb. nov.</b> <i>Vitex keniensis</i> Turrill, Diagnoses Africanae LXII: 47. 1915. (Turrill 1915); Pieper (1928: 60); Moldenke (1956: 420); Verdcourt (1992: 58); (Beentje 1994: 622); Lebrun &amp; Stork (1997: 525). – Type: British East Africa [Kenya], 1500– 1800 m, <i>Grant</i> in herb. <i>Battiscombe</i> 846 (syn-: Kbarcodes K 000192779 &amp; K 000192780; EA barcode EA 000001114). <b>Distribution</b> – Tropical E Africa from Kenya to Mozambique. <i>V. fischeri</i> var. <i>keniensis</i> is new to D.R. Congo, where it occurs in dense forests of Ituri region (Ituri, envitons de Nduye, NE de la Naitatu, Mont Balihata, rochers dans la forêt primaire, 1100 m, 12 Apr. 1977, <i>Lisowski</i> 43205 (POZG)). <b>Note</b> – Verdcourt (1992: 52) wrote “Usually synonymized with <i>V. fischeri</i>, there is no doubt that it [<i>V. keniensis</i>] is a distinct taxon and Ithink worthy of specific rank”. Afew years later, Ahenda (1999) concluded that <i>V. keniensis</i> was not distinct. However, Ahenda’s evidence is unconvincing. In particular, this author does not appear to have examined pubescence pattern of leaf upper surface and ovary. Idid find two consistent differences between specimens from dense forests and from dry woodlands. The former has persistently puberulent leaf upper surface and ovary crowned by short stiff hairs, while the latter has glabrous leaf upper upper surface and ovary with glands (occasionally a few hairs) at top. These differences justify recognition of <i>V. keniensis</i> at varietal rank; the subspecific rank does not seem appropriate because the area of this taxon broadly overlaps with that of the type variety.
description: Published as part of <i>Meerts, Pierre, 2018, Synopsis of the genus Vitex (Lamiaceae) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, pp. 380-392 in Plant Ecology and Evolution 151 (3)</i> on pages 386-387, DOI: 10.5091/plecevo.2018.1504, http://zenodo.org/record/7664390
description: {"references": ["Turrill W. T. (1915) 1538. Vitex keniensis. In: Diagnoses Africanae LXII. Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, Kew 1915: 44 - 48. https: // doi. org / 10.2307 / 4115448", "Pieper W. (1928) Vorarbeiten zu einer Revision der afrikanischen Vitex - Arten mit Berucksichtigung der ubrigen. Botanische Jahrbucher fur Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzenge- ographie 62, Beibl. 141 (\" 142 \"): 1 - 91 (+ XIII tables).", "Moldenke H. N. (1956) Materials towards a monograph of the genus Vitex. VI. Phytologia 5: 404 - 464.", "Verdcourt B. (1992) Verbenaceae. In: Polhill R. M. (ed) Flora of Tropical East Africa. Rotterdam, A. A. Balkema.", "Beentje H. J. (1994) Kenya trees, shrubs and lianas. Nairobi, National Museums of Kenya.", "Lebrun J. - P., Stork A. (1997) Enumeration des plantes a fleurs d'Afrique. IV. Geneve, Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la ville de Geneve.", "Ahenda J. O. (1999) Taxonomy and genetic structure of Meru Oak populations, Vitex keniensis Turrill and Vitex fischeri Gurke, in East Africa. PhD. thesis, University of Wageningen, Wageningen, The Netherlands."]}