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

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Summary

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.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge support for the study on the family Asparagaceae in the Flora Zambesiaca area from the Norwegian University Cooperation (NUFU) and the Royal Society for supporting the completion of the studies in the Flora Zambesiaca area. Special thanks to John and Sandie Burrows for kindly providing ecological information and a specimen of A. radiatus from Swaziland. The Directors of BM, BR, K, LISC PRE, and SRGH are acknowledged for making material available on loan. The Keeper and Staff of the Herbarium, RBG Kew for availing space and support during the study. I would like to thank Melanie Wilmot-Dear for the help with the Latin diagnoses and Juliet Williamson for the illustrations.

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  1. The National Herbarium, Science Faculty, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 3434, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Sebsebe Demissew

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  1. Sebsebe Demissew
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Correspondence to Sebsebe Demissew.

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Demissew, S. Four new species of Asparagus (Asparagaceae) from the Flora Zambesiaca area. Kew Bull 63, 269–275 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-008-9017-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-008-9017-y

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