Notes on Somalian species of Ficus (Moraceae)
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Friis, I. 1985. Notes on Somalian species of Ficus (Moraceae). - Nord. J. Bot. 5: 331333. Copenhagen. ISSN 0107-055X.
The type specimens and other material of Somalian species of Ficus L. described or
dealt with by R. Pampanini and E. Chiovenda have been studied. E scussellutii
Pamp. is an earlier name for a widespread E African species hitherto known as E kirkii Hutch. E somalensis (Pamp.) Chiov. is a synonym of another E African species,
E bussei Mildbr. & Burret, although the name has also been used erroneously by
Chiovenda for material of E platyphyllu Del.
I. Friis, Institute of Systematic Botany, Univ. of Copenhagen, 140, Gothersgade, DKI123 Copenhagen K , Denmark.
Introduction
In connection with my account of the Moraceae for the
Flora of Ethiopia I have studied the rather limited number of species of the genus Ficus L. in Somalia. Most
species are widespread and well known; they are described in Aweke (1979), and their general distribution
appears in standard works, e.g. Keay (1958) and Palgrave (1977).
The Somalian species of Ficus with an established
taxonomy and well known general distribution are: E
capreaefolia Del. (incl. E paolii Pamp.), distributed
from Senegal to Somalia and south to Mozambique; E
glumosa Del., distributed from Senegal to Somalia and
south to Zaire and Tanzania; E ingens (Miq.) Miq. (not
conspecific with E lutea Vahl, as indicated by Aweke
(1979)), widely distributed in tropical and southern Africa; E palmata Forssk., distributed from Pakistan
through Arabia and adjacent parts of the Middle East to
Ethiopia and the Sudan; E populifolia Vahl, distributed
in N tropical Africa from Senegal to Somalia and tropical Arabia; E salicifolia Vahl (incl. E pretoriae BurttDavy), distributed from tropical Arabia to S. Africa; E
sycomorus L. (incl. ssp. gnaphalocarpa (A. Rich.) C. C.
Berg), widely distributed in tropical and extratropical
Africa; and E vasta Forssk., distributed from tropical
Arabia to Tanzania.
However, the identity of two species described from
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Somalia, E scassellatii Pamp. and E somalensis (Pamp.)
Chiov., has never been established. The type specimens, as well as other material referred to these two
species from Somalia, were therefore obtained on loan
to Kew (K) from the Erbario Tropicale, Florence (FT).
All cited material has been seen unless otherwise stated.
The results of these studies are the following:
1. F. scassellatii Pamp.
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(Pampanini, January-February 1915: 15); Chiovenda (1929:
63) & (1932: 410 & Fig. 234); Senni (1935: 254). -Type: Soma’
lia, Goscia, Bioli, Scassellati Ser V, 31 (FT, lectotype).
E kirkii Hutch. (Hutchinson, August 1915: 343) & (1917:
209); Brenan & Greenway (1949: 360); Dale & Greenway
(1961: 317); Palgrave (1977: 110). - Types: Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kirk s.n. (K, syntype), Sacleux 2020 (syntype, not
traced).
This species is distinguished by the following characters:
glabrescent, thick, leathery, obovate to oblanceolate
leaves, with acuminate apex and cuneate base, a strawcoloured, finely reticulate pattern of tertiary veins below, and solitary, long pedunculate figs. Full description
in the works cited in the synonymy.
Comparison of the Scassellati material from S Somalia with material at Kew has convinced me that the former material is conspecific with the E African taxon
known as E kirkii Hutch.
The publication by Pampanini in the January-February issue of Boll. SOC. Bot. Ital., which appeared
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NORD. J. BOT. 5: 331-333, TROP 105
22 Nord. J . Bot. 5 (4) 1985
331
monthly, competes for priority with that of Hutchinson
in the August issue of the Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew. I have
searched for information about accession dates in the
volumes of the journals concerned at the libraries at
Kew and Florence, but have found no positive evidence
about actual publication dates; in the absence of such
evidence I have accepted the dates of publication given
in the journals, and have therefore to accept the priority
of the Pampanini name. The usage of the two competing names up to now appears from the synonymy.
The collection number of the Scassellati collection
used for the description of the new species is not indicated in Pampanini's diagnosis. There are two Scassellati specimens identified as E scassellati present in the
Erbario Tropicale, one numbered as above with a leafy
twig and figs and an unumbered one with figs only. I
have therefore here selected the former one as lectotYPe.
Chiovenda (1932) suggested that E scassellatii might
be identical with E magnolioides Borzi, a species which
Borzi (1897) described from a cultivated tree in the
Orto Botanic0 Coloniale of Palerrno. However, a specimen from that tree is at Kew and has been compared by
me with material of E scassellatii. The Palerrno fig differs from E scassellatii in almost all the characters mentioned above, and can not be conspecific with E scassellatii.
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Additional Somalian material: Goscia, Elvalda, Scassellati s.n. (FT); Touata Island in Juba River, Tozzi 340
(W.
Distribution and ecology: Distributed in the coastal
zone of E Africa from S Somalia to Mozambique, in
coastal evergreen forest, ground water forest, and riverine forest. Somalian distribution, see Fig. 1.
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Fig. 1. Distibution of E scussellatii Pamp. (V), E bussei
Mildbr. & Burret ( A ) and E platyphylla Del. (0)in Somalia
and Ethiopia. The distribution is based on the material at C,
EA, FT, K, and UPS. The question mark indicate the collection Guidotti 234 from Mansur Forest.
width ratio 1.8-2.0, with rounded to obscurely acuminate apex and cordate base, and pedunculate, mostly
single figs. Full description in the works cited in the synonymy.
The species has been confused with E platyphylla
(see the synonymy of that species below), but can be
distinguished on the characters pointed out here. E bussei and E platyphylla overlap slightly in distribution in
central Somalia, but differ considerably in their ecology.
The identification of E changuensis with E bussei and
E zarnbesiaca is based on information from Prof. C. C.
Berg who has studied the type material of these taxa (C.
C. Berg, unpubl.), a taxonomic decision which from the
material I have seen seems fully justifiable.
E zambesiaca is recorded from Somalia by Chiovenda (1932) on the basis of a specimen (Guidotti 234)
and photograps. The Guidotti material has presumably
been deposited at the herbarium of the University of
Modena (MOD), where I have looked for it; it can not
be found, and I have therefore only tentatively identified the material here by using the illustrations published by Chiovenda.
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2. F. bussei Mildbr. & Burret
(Mildbraed & Burret (1911: 413); Brenan & Greenway (1949:
360); Dale & Greenway (1961: 315). -Types: Tanzania, Lindi,
Busse 2427 (B, syntype, not seen); Kwa Mtora, Busse 1024 (B,
syntype, not seen); Dar-es-Salaam,Stuhlmann s.n., Sept. 1894
(B, syntype, not seen).
E fusciculata Warb. (Warburg 1894: 175), nom. illeg. non
Hooker (1888). E changuensis Mildbr. & Burret (Mildbread &
Burret (1911: 212), nom. nov. - Type: Tanzania, Changu Island, Stuhlmann 109 (B, holotype, not seen).
E changuensis Mildbr. & Burret var. somalensis Pamp.
(Pampanini 1915: 14); Chiovenda (1916: 165 & Tab. 22, Fig.
C). - qpes: Somalia, Bur Medac, Paoli 722 (FT,syntype); Iscia Baidoa, Paoli 1217 (FT,syntype).
E somalensis (Pamp.) Chiov. (Chiovenda 1929: 313) pro
parte, quoad Puccioni & Stefanini 1064.
E zambesiaca Hutch. (Hutchinson 1915: 341); Chiovenda
(1932: 410, Fig. 232 & 233). -Types: Malawi, Shire Valley, at
Katunga, Scott s.n. (K, syntype); Mozambique, Shupanga,
Kirk 6 (K, syntype); Sena, Kirk 7 (K, syntype).
This species is distinguished by the following characters:
oblong to ovate-oblong, glabrescent, coriaceous leaves,
9.2-11.3 x 4.6-5.6 cm (in Somalian material), length/
332
Additional Somalian material: Duldir, near Bugda
Acable, Puccioni & Stefanini 1064 (FT); Jamama District, Mugaambo, Thulin & Warfa SMP 118 (K, UPS);
Bur Akaba, Gillett & Hemming 24911 (EA); ? Mansur
Forest, Guidotti 234 (? MOD, not traced).
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Distribution and ecology: Distributed in the coastal
zone of E Africa from S Somalia to Mozambique, in
coastal evergreen forest and riverine forest. Somalian
distribution, see Fig. 1.
3. F. platyphylla Del.
(Delile 1826: 62); Hutchinson (1917: 198); Chiovenda (1929:
312); Eggeling & Dale (1951: 256); Aweke (1979: 54). -Type:
Sudan, Meroe, Cailliaud s.n. (MPU, holotype, fide Aweke
(1979: 54)).
E somalensis auct. non (Pamp.) Chiov.: Chiovenda (1929:
313); pro parte, quoad Puccioni & Stefanini 917 & 1042; Chiovenda (1932: 410 & Fig. 231).
This species is distinguished by the following characters:
obovate to ovate-elliptic, coriaceous leaves, minutely
pubescent on both sides, 11.0-19.0 x 8.5-11.5 cm (in
Somalian material), lengthlwidth ratio 1.2-1.6, with obtuse apex and deeply cordate, partly overlapping base,
and pedunculate, usually paired figs. Full description in
the works cited in the synonymy.
References
Aweke, G. 1979. Revision of the genus Ficus L. (Moraceae) in
Ethiopia. - Meded. Landbouwhogeschool Wageningen
7%3: 1-115.
Borzi, A. 1897. Diagnosi di specie nuove o critiche. - Boll. R.
Ort. Bot. di Palermo 1: 43-50.
Brenan, J. P. M. & Greenway, P. J. 1949. Check-List of the
Forest Trees and Shrubs of the British Empire. No. 5 , Tanganyika Temtory, Pt. 2. - Imperial Forestry Institute, Oxford.
Chiovenda, E. 1916. Resultati Scientifici della Missione Stefanini-Paoli nella Somalia Italiana, 1. Le Collezioni Botaniche. - Museo ed Erbario Coloniale, Firenze.
- 1929. Flora Somala 1. - Sindicato Italiano Arti Grafiche,
Roma.
- 1932. Flora Somala 2. - Orto Botanico, Modena.
Dale, I. R. & Greenway, P. J. 1961. Kenya Trees and Shrubs. Buchanan’s Kenya Estates, Nairobi.
Delile, A. Raffeneau-, 1826. Centurie de plantes d’Afrique du
voyage 2 MCroC, recueillies par M. Cailliaud. - Imprimerie
royale, Paris.
Eggeling, W. J. & Dale, I. R. 1951. The indigenous trees of the
Uganda Protectorate, 2. ed. - Government Printers,
Entebbe.
Hooker, J. D. 1888. Urticaceae. - In Flora of British India, 5 ,
L. Reeve & Co., Ashford, pp. 477-594.
Hutchinson, J. 1915. New tropical African species of Ficus. Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1915, 7: 313-344.
- 1917. Ficus (first instalment). -In: Prain, D. (ed.), Flora of
Tropical Africa 6,2. L. Reeve & Co., Ashford, pp. 78-192.
Keay, R. W. J. 1958. Ficus. - In: Hutchinson, J. & Dalziel, J.
M. (eds), Flora of West Tropical Africa, 2. ed., revised by
R.W. J. Keay, 1,2, Crown Agents, London, pp. 600-611.
Mildbraed, J. & Burret, M. 1911. Die afrikanischen Arten der
Gattung Ficus L. Beitrage zur Flora von Afrika XXXVIII.
- Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 46: 163-269.
Palgrave, K. C. 1977. Trees of Southern Africa. - Struik, Cape
Town.
Pampanini, R. 1915. Missione scientifica Stefanini-Paoli nella
Somala settentrionale (1913). Contributo alla conoscenza
della flora Somala. -Boll. SOC.Bot. Ital. 1915,l-2: 12-18.
Senni, L. 1935. Gli alberi e le formazioni legnose della Somalia. - Istituto Agricolo Coloniale Italiano, Firenze.
Warburg, 0. 1894. Moraceae africanae 11. Ficus. Beitrage zur
Flora von Afrika IX. - In Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 20: 151-175.
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Somalian material: Nogal, steppe between Bucdere and
Hamur, Puccioni & Stefanini 917 (FT);Migiurtinia,
near the wells of Dhur, Puccioni & Stefanini 1042 (FT);
wells of E l Meghet, Senni 732 (FT);Hargeisa, Bally
3149 (K); Las Anod, Bally 10866 (K); Ainabo, Hemming CFH 166 (K); Bahad Wein, Gillett, Hemming &
Watson 21980 (EA, K).
Distribution and ecology: Widely distributed in the
wooded grassland regions of W Africa, from Senegal to
the Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Uganda, in deciduous
woodland and wooded grassland, sometimes near
waterholes, but not a forest species.
Acknowledgements - I should like to thank the curators of the
herbaria in Florence, Kew, Modena, and Uppsala, for permission to study material of Somalian figs at their institutions, and
Mr. J. B. Gillett, the EA Herbarium, Nairobi, for checking the
material in that institution. I am grateful to Prof. C. C. Berg,
University of Utrecht, for information about the synonyms of
E bussei described from East Africa.
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