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Within the framework of a taxonomic revision of Drimia sensu lato we here describe a new species from the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. Drimia trichophylla sp. nov. is at first sight related to D. vermiformis, but it can be clearly differentiated by the flower and leaf morphology and distribution. A complete description is presented for this species, and data on morphology, ecology, and distribution are reported. Affinities and divergences with other close allies are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyacinthaceae includes many taxa of hysteranthous or proteranthous plants, in which leaves and inflorescences are not coetaneous. Many herbarium sheets of such taxa, including type specimens, were prepared with samples gathered at different times to include as many vegetative and reproductive structures as possible to facilitate future identification. As a result of our taxonomic work being undertaken on several genera of the family, we found that holotypes of 14 taxa include different gatherings and are therefore not validly published, according to Art. 8.2 of the Melbourne Code. Validation of those names is effected in the same genera and ranks as they were first described, and a brief discussion is added for each case. Furthermore, four additional names are discussed in which a conclusive interpretation about invalid publication is not possible according to the available data, and hence their acceptance as valid names is here suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Iris L. s.l. is one of the most diverse and well-known genera in the Asparagales, with approximately 250–300 circumscribed species and significant economic impact. The taxonomy of the genus has suffered dramatic changes in the last century, particularly in the last decades after the application of molecular techniques. As a result several contrasting systematic arrangements are currently available to taxonomists. Many genera that were split from Iris s.str. in the past, on the basis of morphology (e.g., Hermodactylus, Iridodictyum, Juno, Pardanthopsis, and Xiphion, among others), are now a priori re-included in a very widely circumscribed Iris s.l. (incl. Belamcanda). This resulted in a more heterogeneous genus that is more difficult to define on morphological grounds. Testing congruence between taxonomic treatments and the results of recent molecular studies of Iris has never been performed, mostly due to the lack of proper taxonomic context. Results: We generated several conventional phylogenies for Iris & outgroups using extensive sampling of taxa (187) and characters (10 plastid loci). We demonstrate that the natural history of Iris, written either as conventional molecular phylogenies or, if viewing in the context of the comparative approach, as a nested most parsimonious hierarchy of patterns, appear to be fully congruent with the narrow taxonomical treatment of the genus, restricted to the rhizomatous “bearded” taxa. The resulting topologies place Belamcanda, Pardanthopsis, and Gattenhofia as sisters to Iris s.str. and genus Siphonostylis as sister to Iris s.l. Conclusion: The present study clearly justifies the splitting of Iris s.l. into at least 23 genera, 18 of which have already been accepted in the past by numerous authorities. These genera are characterized by unique combinations of partly overlapping morphological characters and biogeography. Moreover, nearly the same entities, which we here recognize at a generic rank, were for centuries frequently referred to by horticulturists as “working-name” groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the frame of a taxonomic revision of Stellarioides Medik. we report here new data on the identity of Ornithogalum canaliculatum Lag. After studying natural populations and herbarium collections of Stellarioides Medik. from Africa, data supporting the synonymisation of O. canaliculatum Lag. to Stellarioides sessiliflora (Desf.) Speta are provided. A complete description is presented for this species, and data on typification, biology, habitat, and distribution are also included. Moreover, the new combination Stellarioides lebaense (Van Jaarsveld) Mart.-Azorín & M. B. Crespo, is provided to accommodate the recently described Ornithogalum lebaense Van Jaarsveld from Angola. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims The taxonomic arrangement within subfamily Ornithogaloideae (Hyacinthaceae) has been a matter of controversy in recent decades: several new taxonomic treatments have been proposed, based exclusively on plastid DNA sequences, and these have resulted in classifications which are to a great extent contradictory. Some authors have recognized only a single genus Ornithogalum for the whole subfamily, including 250–300 species of variable morphology, whereas others have recognized many genera. In the latter case, the genera are inevitably much smaller and they are better defined morphologically. However, some are not monophyletic as circumscribed. Methods Phylogenetic analyses of Ornithogaloideae were based on nucleotide sequences of four plastid regions (trnL intron, trnL-F spacer, rbcL and matK) and a nuclear region (ITS). Eighty species covering all relevant taxonomic groups previously recognized in the subfamily were sampled. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses were performed. The molecular data were compared with a matrix of 34 morphological characters. Key Results Combinations of plastid and nuclear data yielded phylogenetic trees which are better resolved than those obtained with any plastid region alone or plastid regions in combination. Three main clades are found, corresponding to the previously recognized tribes Albuceae, Dipcadieae and Ornithogaleae. In these, up to 19 clades are described which are definable by morphology and biogeography. These mostly correspond to previously described taxa, though some need recircumscription. Morphological characters are assessed for their diagnostic value for taxonomy in the subfamily. Conclusions On the basis of the phylogenetic analyses, 19 monophyletic genera are accepted within Ornithogaloideae: Albuca, Avonsera, Battandiera, Cathissa, Coilonox, Dipcadi, Eliokarmos, Elsiea, Ethesia, Galtonia, Honorius, Loncomelos, Melomphis, Neopatersonia, Nicipe, Ornithogalum, Pseudogaltonia, Stellarioides and Trimelopter. Each of these has a particular syndrome of morphological characters. As a result, 105 new combinations are made and two new names are proposed to accommodate the taxa studied in the new arrangement. A short morphological diagnosis, synonymy, details of distribution and an identification key are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species, Spergularia quartzicola, is described from the quartz outcrops of Knersvlakte (Namaqualand, South Africa). It was sometimes confused with S. media because of perennial habit and white flowers, but the new species differs by the subshrubby, strongly woody at base, habit (vs. herbaceous, suffruticose at the base); the leaves with a long mucro and stipules narrowly triangular and acuminate (vs. leaves with minute or absent mucro, and stipules broadly triangular and not acuminate); the flowers with styles fused in a long column (vs. styles entirely free), and the seeds with deeply and irregularly lacerate wing (vs. wing entire or slightly eroded). This combination of characters is unique among the known South African relatives. Our trnL-trnF and 5.8-ITS2 phylogenetic trees place S. quartzicola together with the South African S. glandulosa and S. namaquensis in an unresolved clade, which is far from the group of S. media. Furthermore, the outstanding morphological, ecological and chorological divergence exhibited by S. quartzicola support its recognition at species rank. According to the data presented here, S. quartzicola should be considered an edaphic specialist, which might have arisen following ecological diversification on Knersvlakte quartz outcrops, as it occurred in other taxa endemic to that territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a request for a binding decision as to whether Scilla and Squilla, which refer to two different group of plants, are to be treated as independent names or are sufficiently alike to be confused.

The article presents a proposal to conserve the name Scilla, a species which has been included in eight different genera belonging to different subfamilies of Hyacinthaceae.

Iris subgenus Xiphium is a small group of taxa that occur in the Mediterranean Basin, a long-recognized biodiversity hotspot. Phylogenetic relationships among these Iris were reconstructed based on sequence data from 110 nuclear markers (coding regions) and plastomes using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods. Best trees based on plastome and combined datasets resolved Iris subgenus Xiphium and I. xiphium as not monophyletic while nuclear and all-gene (combined nuclear and plastid coding regions) datasets resolved the subgenus as monophyletic but I. xiphium as not monophyletic. Topology tests indicated the alternative hypothesis of a monophyletic subgenus is not rejected by the combined dataset while a monophyletic I. xiphium is rejected. Topology tests also showed the hypothesis of a polyphyletic subgenus is rejected by the nuclear and all-gene datasets, however, a monophyletic I. xiphium is not rejected by these two datasets. We hypothesize that the subgenus is monophyletic based on these analyses, morphology, and biogeography, and that uneven patterns of missing data is a likely reason for topological incongruence among datasets. A previously suggested informal group within the subgenus was supported. Patterns of relationships among species suggest multiple exchanges between the African and European continents but also the importance of the Strait of Gibraltar as a barrier to genetic exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tamarix is native to Eurasia plus the northern and southern territories of Africa, with some species being introduced into America and Oceania. They are usually found in arid, desertic, or subdesertic areas, often on saline or subsaline soils, in Mediterranean, temperate, or subtropical climates. The genus is renowned for its complex taxonomy, which is usually based on rather variable or unstable characters, which leads to contrasting taxonomic treatments. As part of the taxonomic revision of Tamarix undertaken by the authors, ten names (i.e., T. africana, T. bounopoea , T. brachystylis var. fluminensis, T. malenconiana , T. muluyana , T. tenuifolia , T. tingitana , T. trabutii , T. valdesquamigera, and T. weyleri ) published from material collected in the southwestern parts of the Mediterranean basin are taxonomically and nomenclaturally discussed after analysing their original material. Eight intended holotypes are corrected here to lectotypes; one epitype is designated for T. africana to warrant current use of the name; and one isotype, 30 isolectotypes, and 11 syntypes are also identified for the studied names. Further, the taxonomic identity of all names and their eventual synonymic placement are accordingly discussed.

The taxonomic identity and phylogenetic relationships of several southern African perennial taxa related to Frankenia repens are discussed. In particular, F. nodiflora Lam., a misunderstood species described from the Cape region and synonymised to F. pulverulenta , is restored for plants endemic to salt-pans and riverbeds in the coastal lowlands across the Cape Flats (Western Cape province, South Africa). Further, a revision of morphologically close plants, usually identified as F. pulverulenta or F. repens , also occurring in similar saline ecosystems of the inland western South Africa revealed the existence of two distinct new entities not matching any described taxa of the genus. Molecular analyses of nuclear ribosomal (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region) DNA sequence data together with morphological divergence allow recognition of those taxa at species rank, within an independent lineage close to F. repens . In consequence, two new sea-heath species are described in the so-called " F. repens group": F. nummularia from the Nama-Karoo Biome (Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces), and F. anneliseae from the Succulent Karoo Biome (Northern Cape province). Full morphological description and type designation are reported for each accepted species as well as data on ecology, habitat, distribution, and taxonomic relationships to other close relatives are given. Further, an identification key is presented to facilitate recognition of the southern African taxa of Frankenia .

The name " Spergularia hanoverensis Simon" has been misapplied to an endemic taxon confined to inland semidesert ecosystems in central-western South Africa. It is commonly accepted as a small annual species occurring in saline habitats in a wide elevation range, but its identity still remains obscure. In the context of taxonomic and phylogenetic research on the African species of Spergularia , we found that the name was never validly published. After revision of herbarium material housed in South African herbaria, a voucher collected from Hanover was found at PRE bearing some labels handwritten by E. Simon that suggest it might be an intended type for the name. Additional herbarium material and wild populations from the Karoo region were identified that matched the samples in that voucher, and taxonomic research was conducted to clarify their identity. Among other characters, those Karoo plants show a woody dense compact habit, woody perennial at base; stems prostrate to ascendent; leaves entirely glabrous, somewhat glaucous; large white-hyaline conspicuous stipules; inflorescence glanduliferous, many-flowered subdichasial cyme, with minute bracts; flowers small, with white petals approximately equalling sepals in length, stamens 7-8, and styles free from base; capsule small, with seeds dimorphic, unwinged to broadly winged, with testa always densely tuberculate. Molecular analyses of plastid ( trnL - trnF region) and nuclear ribosomal (5.8S-ITS2 region) DNA sequence data support morphological differentiation of the Karoo plants, for which the name S. hanoverensis is here effectively published. A full morphological description and data on ecology, habitat, distribution, and taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships of S. hanoverensis are compared to other members of the "South African group", namely S. glandulosa , S. namaquensis , and S. quartzicola , from which the new species considerably differs. The adaptative significance of dimorphic seeds of S. hanoverensis is briefly commented on in the context of the species habitat preference. An identification key is presented for the South African related taxa., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.