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Numerical phenetic analysis of Olinia rochetiana sensu lato (Oliniaceae)

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Summary

Previous circumscriptions of Olinia rochetiana A. Juss. (Oliniaceae) presented a taxonomically variable and widespread species complex in central and tropical East Africa. Results of numerical phenetic analyses of morphological variation within O. rochetiana sensu lato indicate the existence of four taxa which are recognisable at specific rank corresponding to O. huillensis Welw. ex A. & R. Fern., O. ruandensis Gilg, O. rochetiana A. Juss. sensu stricto and O. usambarensis Gilg ex Engl. The analyses also indicate that O. huillensis, hitherto reported to occur only in Angola, occurs widely in southern Africa and shows geographic segregates characterised as O. huillensis Welw. subsp. huillensis, O. huillensis subsp. burttdavii Sebola and O. huillensis subsp. discolor Sebola (Map 2). The major delimiting characters were found to be the shapes of petals and leaves, presence or absence of indumentum and the degree of hairiness on floral parts, and the form of inflorescence units (i.e. being either compact or spreading). Phenetic and ecological concepts of species are applied at the specific and subspecific ranks, respectively. Keys to distinguish between the species and infraspecific taxa are presented, and full descriptions and citations of examined specimens are provided.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the directors of the following herbaria for the loan of material: B, BM, BOL, ETH, K, NBG, PRE and SAM to supplement those at J; Dr Charlie Jarvis, Prof. Simon Owens, Ms G. Douglas and Dr John Rourke for giving permission to work in BM, K, LINN and NBG respectively; Dr R. K. Brummitt and Dr Eimear Nic Lughadha for advice and stimulating discussion; Dr Petra Hoffmann for translations into English. We thank the University of the Witwatersrand, the Mellon Foundation and the National Research Foundation of South Africa (formerly the Foundation for Research and Development) for financial support.

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Appendices

Appendix 1. Index of exsiccatae.

Alphabetical listing of all specimens examined according to: collector number (taxon number in this paper, herbarium acronyms).

Afework-Kasso 20 (4, ETH), Amshoff 10279 (4, B); Angus 838 (2a, K); Angus 883E (2a, K); Ash 1396 (4, K); Ash 2346 (5, K).

Balkwill et al. 9107 (2a, J); Balkwill et al. P1/1 (2a, J); Bally 10701 (4, K); Barbosa 10365 (2a, K, PRE); Barnard & Mogg 988, 1027 (2a, J, PRE); Beentje 3256 (5, K, PRE); Benedicto 80 (2c, K); Biegel 3082 (1, K, PRE); Bogdan 4762 (5, K); Borges 314 (2a, PRE, K); Brunt 1399 (5, K).

Carmichael 324 (2c, K); Carmichael 1577 (5, K); Carmichael 1703 (5, K); Chaffey 476 & 415 (4, K); Chaffey 476 (4, ETH); Chapman 56 (2a, K); Chapman & Chapman 8207 (2a, PRE); Chase 4173 (1, BM); Chase 5480 (1, B, BM, K, PRE); Chase 6320 (1, PRE); Chase 6521a (1, B, PRE);Chase 6774 (1, PRE).

Davidson 3504 (2a, J); Davidson 379 (2a, J); De Wilde 10043 (4, PRE); De Wilde 10279 (4, ETH); De Witte 3085 (2a, PRE).

Ede 3 (2c, K, PRE); Eggeling 2484 (5, K); Eggeling E.6576 (3, K); Emson 254 (3, K); Emson 291 (2c, K); Exell & Mendoça 1900 (2a, BM).

Fanshawe F.4954 (3, K); Fanshawe F11531, F11534 (2a, K); Fisher 1218 (1, PRE); Friis et al. 532 (4, K), 6075 (4, ETH).

Gardner 321 (4, K); Gardner 1026, (4, PRE); Geilinger 4988 (5, K); Gestner 5935 (2a, PRE); Gilbert 6029 (4, K); Gillett 17617 (3, K); Gillett 14824 (4, B, K, PRE); Glover et al. 1007 (4, K, PRE); Glover et al. 2486 (4, PRE); Goetze 994 (5, K), Goetze 1452 (5, K); Goldblatt & Love 8245 (5, K, PRE); Goldsmith 9/67 (1, PRE); Goldsmith 7/171 (1, B); Goldsmith 159/62 (1, PRE); Grant & Gardner H59/54/1 (5, PRE); Greenshaw s.n. (~ Salisbury 37362) (1, K); Greenway & Fitzgerald 14970 (5, K, PRE); Greenway & Trapnell 5568 (1, K).

Haarer 1647 (2c, K); Harley 9550 (3, B, K); Hartmann 127 (2c, BM); Hemm 035 (2a, J); Holst 9115 (5, K); Howard 81 (4, K); Hughes 193 (5, ETH, K); Huntley et al. 58 (2a, K, PRE); Hutchinson 402 (5, PRE).

Jackson 337a (5, K); Jex-Blake 6867 (4, K).

Kerfoot 4229 (5, PRE).

Lisowski 98 (2a, K); Lovett & Kayombo 476 (5, PRE); Lovett & Lovett 2115 (5, PRE); Lugard 202 (5, K).

Maguire 2874 (2a, J); Mendes 844 (2a, BM & PRE); Meyer 7784 (4, K); Miller 1988 (1, K, B); Milner 1994 (1, K, B, PRE); Milner 4192 (1, K); Milne-Redhead E. 3381 (3, K, PRE); Mogg 16934 (2a, PRE); Mooney 5688 (4, K); Mooney 5726 (4, B, ETH, K); Mwasumbi et al. 13740 (5, PRE).

Netshiungani 922 (2a, PRE); Newbould 3367 (4, K); Nicholson 653 & 655 (2a, PRE);

Norlindh & Weimarck 4257 (1, BM).

Obermeyer 905 & 1216 (2a, PRE).

Philip 797 (5, K); Phillip s.n. (2a, J); Polhill 325 (5, K); Proctor 1445 (5, PRE); Proctor 1508 (5, PRE); Proctor & Shibani 2708 (2c, K).

Raal 379 (2a, PRE); Richards 13102 (2c, K); Richards 15759 (2c, K); Richards 21852 & 21864 (2a, K); Richards 17233, 21850, 21848 (3, K); Richards 22531 (2c, K); Richards 22770 (2a, K); Richards 6727 (3, K); Robson & Fanshawe 499 (3, PRE); Rochet 18 (4, K).

Schlieben 3565 (5, B, BM); Schlieben 4417 (5, B, BM); Schlieben 5128 (5, B, BM, K); Scott s.n. (4, K); Sebola 432 (2a, J); Sebola 442 (2a, J); Sebsebe 319, 1374 (4, ETH); Sebsebe & Melaku 766 (4, ETH); Semsei 2724 (5, B); Selassi 392 (4, ETH); Selassi 71 (4, ETH); Sigara 257 (5, K); Stolz 1721, 2288, 2367 (5, K); Story 4860 (2a, PRE); Styles 299 (5, K); Swynnerton 158 (1, BM); Synge S1712 (5, K).

Tadesse 6891 (4, ETH); Taylor 3142 (4, BM, K); Taylor 3435 (4, BM); Tewolde 1242 (4, ETH); Torstein-Haugen 1838 (4, ETH); Tweedie 1287 (5, K, PRE).

Van Someren EA12289 (4, K); Van Someren 1396 (4, K); Van Wyk 4156 (2a, PRE); Venter 10020 (2a, PRE); Venter 10744 (2a, PRE); Venter 11075 (2a, PRE); Verdcourt 2139 (4, PRE); Verdcourt 3283 (4, B, K, PRE).

West 6245 (1, K, PRE); West 6990 (1, K); White 2579 (2a, K); Wild 3310 (1, K); Wild 3928 (1, B); Wild 5608 (1, K); Wild 5998 (1, K, PRE); Willan 484 (5, K); Willan 472 (5, PRE); Winter 1892 (2a, J); Winter 3539 (2a, J).

Appendix 2

Table 3. List of voucher specimens studied.

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Sebola, R.J., Balkwill, K. Numerical phenetic analysis of Olinia rochetiana sensu lato (Oliniaceae). Kew Bull 64, 95–121 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-008-9095-x

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