TY - JOUR
T1 - A taxonomic revision of the Thesium goetzeanum species complex (Santalaceae) from Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland
AU - Visser, N.
AU - le Roux, M. Marianne
AU - van Wyk, B. E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 SAAB
PY - 2018/11
Y1 - 2018/11
N2 - The genus Thesium L. is in urgent need of revision and has been identified as a priority genus for taxonomic research in South Africa. The revision of 16 morphologically similar grassland species from Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland, here referred to as the T. goetzeanum complex, is a first step towards a comprehensive revision of the genus. All members of the complex share the following characters: (1) tepals with a prominent apical beard, (2) anthers attached to the perianth tube with post-staminal hairs, (3) stigmas usually not sessile (rarely sessile in T. gracilarioides A.W.Hill and T. gypsophiloides A.W.Hill), (4) monotelic inflorescences, (5) leaves, bracts and bracteoles leaf-like, not scale-like, (6) stems leafy, not rush-like, and (7) stems and leaves glabrous. A comprehensive study of morphology, type specimens, distribution information, available literature, as well as field observations, indicate that the number of accepted species should be reduced from 16 to 9, including the newly recognised species T. infundibulare N.Visser and M.M.le Roux sp. nov. The first comprehensive description of T. procerum N.E.Br. is also provided. A taxonomic revision of the T. goetzeanum complex is presented, including an identification key, updated nomenclature and typifications, descriptions, diagnostic characters, distribution maps and conservation notes for all nine recognised species.
AB - The genus Thesium L. is in urgent need of revision and has been identified as a priority genus for taxonomic research in South Africa. The revision of 16 morphologically similar grassland species from Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland, here referred to as the T. goetzeanum complex, is a first step towards a comprehensive revision of the genus. All members of the complex share the following characters: (1) tepals with a prominent apical beard, (2) anthers attached to the perianth tube with post-staminal hairs, (3) stigmas usually not sessile (rarely sessile in T. gracilarioides A.W.Hill and T. gypsophiloides A.W.Hill), (4) monotelic inflorescences, (5) leaves, bracts and bracteoles leaf-like, not scale-like, (6) stems leafy, not rush-like, and (7) stems and leaves glabrous. A comprehensive study of morphology, type specimens, distribution information, available literature, as well as field observations, indicate that the number of accepted species should be reduced from 16 to 9, including the newly recognised species T. infundibulare N.Visser and M.M.le Roux sp. nov. The first comprehensive description of T. procerum N.E.Br. is also provided. A taxonomic revision of the T. goetzeanum complex is presented, including an identification key, updated nomenclature and typifications, descriptions, diagnostic characters, distribution maps and conservation notes for all nine recognised species.
KW - Alpha taxonomy
KW - Apical beard
KW - Identification key
KW - New species
KW - Tepals
KW - Thesium
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85051953876&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.sajb.2018.08.005
DO - 10.1016/j.sajb.2018.08.005
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85051953876
SN - 0254-6299
VL - 119
SP - 45
EP - 62
JO - South African Journal of Botany
JF - South African Journal of Botany
ER -