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Abstract: A taxonomic study is presented of an informal group of morphologically similar species, referred to here as the Pentzia incana group. The group is distinguished by the combination of smaller (≤8mm broad), shortly-pedunculate, solitary, terminal capitula, often with 1 to 3 additional capitula from the leaf axils below; ovate to broadly elliptic involucral bracts with broadly membranous margins that apically enclose the young capitula; absence of resin canals in the involucral bracts; and general absence of secondary basal lobes in the lower and middle leaves. A key to all six species in the P. incana group is presented, as well as a taxonomic revision of the four southern African species. Six species are recognised, one of which, Pentzia oppositifolia Magee, is described as new. Pentzia bolusii, a species known only from a single depauperate specimen, is reduced to synonymy under P. incana. Four of the species within the P. incana group are endemic to southern Africa (P. calcarea, P. calva, P. incana and P. oppositifolia), one to Somalia (P. somalensis) and the other to Yemen (P. arabica). The species were found to differ in the arrangement of the leaves and capitula, the shape of the involucre, and the presence or absence of a pappus. Differences in the fruit anatomy were also observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A highly localised new species from the Cederberg Mountains near Wuppertal in the Western Cape Province is described. Annesorhiza asparagoides B.-E. Van Wyk, collected for the first time in 2009, differs from all other species of Annesorhiza (and the closely related Chamarea) in the unusual leaf structure, with crowded, subsessile, acicular leaf segments, resulting in dense, bottlebrush-like pinnae. The new species has a cluster of 10 or more slender roots, small (<150mm long), sparsely hairy leaves and small (±8mm long), oblong, conspicuously ribbed, homomericarpic fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The taxonomy of the hitherto monotypic, fynbos-endemic genus Glia Sond. is revised, together with a re-consideration of its generic circumscription. Recent field work has revealed and clarified the existence of two new species, herein described as G. decidua B-E.van Wyk and G. pilulosa B-E.van Wyk. Both are summer-deciduous geophytes (growing at low elevations in clay or limestone) that are clearly related to the well-known G. prolifera (an evergreen pyrophyte found in sandy soils, mostly at higher elevations). The genus Glia differs from the closely related Anginon Raf. in the geophytic habit with a single, tuberous root (woody shrubs or shrublets in Anginon), the predominantly unbranched flowering stems arising from a short woody collar above the tuber (stems usually much-branched above ground level in Anginon), with basal rosettes of leaves (mature leaves cauline and crowded towards the branch ends in Anginon) and with cauline leaves (if present) strongly reduced in size (not reduced in Anginon). Furthermore, the leaves are sparsely and minutely hairy, at least along the margins or veins below (totally glabrous in Anginon) and the petioles have medullary vascular bundles (absent in Anginon except in seedlings or juvenile leaves). Anginon species are evergreen shrubs or shrublets with persistent leaves borne on woody branches but some of them (e.g. A. verticillata) may lose their leaves under extreme drought conditions in summer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Lichtensteinia globosa B.-E. Van Wyk & P.M. Tilney, a distinct new species from the Cedarberg Mountains in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, is described. The new species is related to Lichtensteinia interrupta (= L. kolbeana) but differs in having tuberculate (pustulate), globose fruits (fruits smooth in all other species and strongly dorsally compressed in all except L. obscura and L. interrupta). It is geographically isolated from L. interrupta, which has a wide distribution in the southern and eastern coastal parts of South Africa. The new species has serrate–aristate leaf margins and pustulate fruits which appear to further reduce the taxonomic distance between Lichtensteinia and the subfamily Saniculoideae, where bristly or even spiny leaf margins and tuberculate fruits are common. Furthermore, Lichtensteinia species also have crystals right around the pericarp, rounded cotyledons, large rib oil ducts and a complete absence of vittae, all of which are typical of the Saniculoideae. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aspalathus linearis (Fabaceae) is an exceptionally polymorphic species comprising seven distinct infraspecific forms, some reseeding and some resprouting after fire. We present, for the first time, anatomical data to describe the stems and leaves that are used to produce the well-known herbal product, rooibos tea. Comparisons between the commercial (cultivated) red tea type and selected wild types showed limited anatomical variation within the species. The cut and fermented leaves of the commercial form and various wild forms of the species show considerable variation, ranging from reddish brown to various shades of brown, grey and black. Infusions or decoctions are less variable and are bright reddish brown. Characters that may be useful for pharmacognostic purposes are the terete leaf segments, the similarity between leaf and stem sections, the thick cuticle, the bright yellowish brown colour of the epidermal cells (of leaves and young stems), the anomocytic stomata, the ring of small vascular bundles in the leaf and the highly sclerified main vascular bundle of the leaf. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The leaf and stem microstructure of commercialised Cyclopia species (Cyclopia intermedia, Cyclopia subternata, Cyclopia maculata, Cyclopia genistoides) is described and illustrated for the first time. Leaflet characters of diagnostic value include the shape, margin (flat or revolute), bundle sheath extensions, crystals (aggregates, solitary crystals and crystal sand), relative size of the upper and lower epidermal cells and thickness of the cuticle. The study revealed an abundance of phenolic compounds, not only in the leaf epidermal cells and leaf bundle sheaths, but also in the secondary phloem, xylem rays, xylem parenchyma and pith, showing that the inclusion of older stems may be acceptable and does not necessarily lower the quality of the product. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A taxonomic revision of the recircumscribed South African endemic genus Dasispermum Raf. is presented, including keys to the species, complete nomenclature, typifications, descriptions, and geographical distributions. In addition, two new species, D. grandicarpum Magee & B.-E.van Wyk and D. perennans Magee & B.-E.van Wyk, are described. Seven species of Dasispermum are now recognised and can be distinguished from one another by their habit (life history and growth form), leaf morphology (leaf texture, leaf colour and width of the ultimate leaflet segments), inflorescence structure (length of the peduncle, presence or absence and division of involucral and involucel bracts), fruit morphology (relative length of the styles, fruit size and the prominence and relative orientation of the ribs) and fruit anatomy (shape of the cells external to the vittae). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Cape endemic genus Capnophyllum Gaertn. is revised. As a result of valuable recent collections and extensive fieldwork, this hitherto neglected genus was found to comprise four annual species, two of which are newly described, namely C. lutzeyeri Magee and B.-E.van Wyk, and C. macrocarpum Magee and B.-E.van Wyk. The four species are distinguished from one another by their fruit morphology (relative length of the styles, the shape and position of the stylopodium, fruit size, surface sculpturing, and the presence or absence of a sterile apical portion) and fruit anatomy (marginal wings slightly or prominently involute and secondary ribs present or absent). A comprehensive key to the species, their complete nomenclature and typification, together with complete descriptions and known geographical distributions for all the species are presented and illustrated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The current concept of Alepidea amatymbica Eckl. and Zeyh. embraces two distinct species which can be distinguished on the basis of leaf morphology: (1) A. amatymbica sensu stricto, which has the radical leaves attenuate at their bases and (2) A. cordifolia B.-E. Van Wyk, a new species with the radical leaves cordate at their bases. The new species also differs in the presence of minute hispid hairs on the terminal parts of the peduncles and sometimes also on the basal parts of the involucre and the sepals, styles and stylopodium. The two species are vicariants, with A. amatymbica occurring from the Eastern Cape Province northwards to the southwestern parts of KwaZulu–Natal and A. cordifolia from here northwards to Lesotho, Swaziland, Mpumalanga Province and eastern Zimbabwe. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The recently reinstated genus Cynorhiza Eckl. and Zeyh. is revised. It includes three summer-deciduous species two of which were hitherto placed in the genus Peucedanum L., namely C. typica Eckl. and Zeyh., C. meifolia (Eckl. and Zeyh.) A.R.Magee and a new species, C. bolusii A.R.Magee and B.-E.van Wyk. The species are easily distinguished by a combination of both leaf and fruit morphological characters. Possible phylogenetic relationships within the genus were explored using a cladistic analysis of anatomical and morphological characters, the results of which suggests that C. bolusii and C. meifolia are sister taxa. A formal taxonomic treatment is presented, including a key to the species, correct nomenclature, typifications, descriptions and geographical distributions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Wood anatomical data is presented for 29 southern African shrubby species representing eight genera ( Aspalathus , Calobota , Crotalaria , Leobordea , Lotononis , Rafnia , Wiborgia , Wiborgiella ) of the predominantly African tribe Crotalarieae (Fabaceae). The taxa examined share short vessel elements, exclusively simple perforation plates and vestured intervessel pits, i.e. the wood traits that are typical for many other genera of Papilionoideae. The loss of helical thickenings may be considered as a synapomorphy for Crotalarieae, with a reversal to this character state within Lotononis . Generally, the pattern of wood structure diversity within the Crotalarieae is related more to the growth habits of the plants and probably to environmental factors than to their taxonomy or phylogenetic relationships. All genera (except Crotalaria ) and practically all species studied showed diagonal to dendritic arrangement of vessel groups, up to their fusion into large dendritic aggregations in Calobota species from arid (non-fynbos) regions. Some species from karroid scrubs ( Calobota angustifolia , Calobota cytisoides ) and fynbos ( Aspalathus excelsa , Aspalathus linearis , Aspalathus nigra ) show no dendritic vessel pattern, however. The banded axial parenchyma appears independently in three lineages of Crotalarieae, i.e. in Aspalathus + Wiborgia + Wiborgiella , Rafnia , and in crown species of Calobota . Lotononis s.str. and Leobordea show unbranched or weakly branched coarse vestures in their intervessel pits, whereas other taxa examined share the presence of vestures, appearing as strongly branched fine protuberances. Micromorphological characters of vestured intervessel pits are likely to be useful for the systematics of Crotalarieae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The systematic position of three Apiaceae taxa, Carum piovanii , Bunium nothum and Bunium kandaharicum , is clarified based on morphological and nrITS sequence data. The phylogenetic analyses place C. piovanii within the African peucedanoid genus, Afroligusticum and not with its congeners. Although C. piovanii differs considerably from Afroligusticum in underground organs (spindle-shaped or subcylindrical tubers vs. rhizomatous woody rootstocks), size of leaflets (up to 4 mm long vs. over 8 mm long), and petal color (white vs. mostly greenish or yellow), it is similar carpologically (obtuse-keeled dorsal ribs and narrowly-winged marginal ribs). As a result the new combination Afroligusticum piovanii is proposed. A new section, Austrobunium , is described to accommodate the South Indian B. nothum based on the well-developed calyx teeth not found in the rest of the genus. The Afghanian species, B. kandaharicum , is reduced into synonym with Elwendia stewartiana . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]