Charles Louis Craib : natural historian extraordinaire

An appreciation is provided of Charles Louis Craib’s (21st May 1954 – 19th March 2012) contributions to our knowledge of the southern African succulent and bulb floras, particularly aloes, pelargoniums and bushman candles.Die von Charles Louis Craib (21. May 1954 – 19. März 2012) verfassten Beiträge zu unseren Kenntnissen über die Sukkulenten- und Zwiebelpflanzenflora, insbesondere zu Arten von Aloe, Pelargonium und Buschmanns Kerzen, des südlichen Afrikas werden gewürdigt.http://www.bcss.org.uk/journal.htmlam201

A second species of Furcraea Vent. (Agavaceae), F. tuberosa (Mill.) W.T.Aiton, naturalised in South Africa

Furcraea tuberosa (Mill.) W.T.Aiton (Agavaceae) is recorded as having become naturalised in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. A description and illustrations of the species in South Africa are provided, and it is compared with F. hexapetala (Jacq.) Urb., with which it can be confused taxonomically. A key based on vegetative characters to distinguish among F. tuberosa, F. foetida (L.) Haw. and F. selloa K.Koch, the latter two being commonly grown or naturalised in South Africa, is included.Furcraea tuberosa (Mill.) W.T.Aiton ist in der Provinz Mpumalanga, Südafrika, verwildert. Eine Beschreibung und Abbildungen der Art in Südafrika ergänzen einen Vergleich mit F. hexapetala (Jacq.) Urb., mit welcher sie taxonomisch verwechselt werden kann. Zusätzlich wird ein Schlüssel veröffentlicht, um zwischen F. tuberosa, F. foetida (L.) Haw. und F. selloa K.Koch (die letzten beiden in Südafrika häufig angepflanzt oder verwildert, zu unterscheiden.http://www.bcss.org.uk/journal.htmlam201

Names associated with Aloe speciosa Baker (Asphodelaceae), a common species in the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa

We argue that the names Aloe hexapetala Salm-Dyck, A. drepanophylla Baker, Aloe chloroleuca Baker and Aloe platylepis Baker should not be regarded as competing with the name Aloe speciosa Baker. The latter name is well-known, widely used, and can be easily linked to natural populations of an aloe that is widespread in South Africa’s Western and Eastern Cape Provinces. The other names are to be regarded as insufficiently known.Wir sind der Meinung, dass die Namen Aloe hexapetala Salm-Dyck, A. drepanophylla Baker, Aloe chloroleuca Baker und Aloe platylepis Baker nicht derart zu interpretieren sind, dass sie den Namen Aloe speciosa Baker konkurrenzieren. Dieser letzt-genannte Name ist gut bekannt, wird weitherum verwendet, und kann leicht mit natürlichen Populationen einer Aloe in Verbindung gebracht werden, die in den südafrikanischen Provinzen Western Cape und Eastern Cape weit verbreitet ist. Die übrigen Namen sollten als "ungenügend bekannt" betrachtet werden.http://www.bcss.org.uk/journal.htmlam201

South Africa's ongoing Opuntia Mill. (Cactaceae) problem : the case of Opuntia tomentosa Salm-Dyck

Opuntia tomentosa Salm-Dyck is recorded as having become naturalised in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A description and illustrations of the species in South Africa are provided, along with a discussion of the characters that distinguish it from Opuntia ficusindica (L.) Mill., the only other tree-like opuntia that has become naturalised in the country.Opuntia tomentosa Salm- Dyck wird als verwildert für die Eastern Cape- Provinz von Südafrika nachgewiesen. Es wird eine Beschreibung mit Abbildungen des Taxons in Südafrika gegeben, zusammen mit einer Diskussion der Merkmale, die es von der einzigen weiteren, im Land verwilderten baumförmigen Opuntienart Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. unterscheiden.http://www.bcss.org.uk/journal.htmlam201

Responsible species description : a change of attitude is needed to facilitate and improve access to biological material

It remains one of the primary responsibilities of taxonomists to describe and concomitantly disseminate information about the novelties they discover through their research efforts and associated herbarium and field work. However, given the present-day emphasis on benefit sharing concerning access to components of biodiversity, taxonomists should be much more circumspect when conducting field- and other work in foreign countries. It is imperative that project proposals submitted for consideration for support or funding take cognizance of the needs of taxonomists and biodiversity specialists in the countries in which fieldwork is to be conducted.http://www.botanik.univie.ac.at/iapt/s_taxon.phpnf201

The family Crassulaceae in continental Portugal

Apart from two present-day centres of high species diversity, one in southern Africa and the other in Mexico, the Crassulaceae, a large family of mainly herbaceous leaf succulents, is also well-represented in Europe in terms of both genera and species. One of these genera, the predominantly continental European genus Sedum L., has for a long time been acknowledged as in need of being split into smaller, more homogenous genera. The recent implementation of some of these taxonomic proposals is here applied to the crassuloid taxa of continental Portugal (islands excluded), with particular reference to Petrosedum Grulich. An updated and expanded checklist of the genera and species of Crassulaceae occurring in Portugal is provided, along with notes on differences between Sedum and Petrosedum. Thirty-six species of Crassulaceae are now recorded for Portugal (continent, excluding islands), of which 14 are introduced.http://www.bcss.org.uk/journal.htmlhb201

Notes on the nomenclature of species of Agave L. (Agavaceae / Asparagaceae) grown in and described from European gardens and nurseries

Several species of Agave L. (Agavaceae / Asparagaceae) have intricate nomenclatural histories, given that material imported into Europe from their New World habitats took several years, if not decades to flower, resulting in hasty and cryptic descriptions often being based on vegetative material only. Furthermore, multiple authors sometimes, but not always, used the same binomials to refer to plants known in cultivation, making it important to clarify and establish correct author citations to determine which species are referred to. In this paper we clarify the use of the well-known names Agave applanata Hort. ex K.Koch, A. verschaffeltii Lem. ex Jacobi and A. ghiesbreghtii Hort. ex Jacobi. In addition, notes are provided on 12 further species names that K. Koch established and, where appropriate, furnished by him with descriptive statements in an often overlooked paper that he published in 1862.http://www.bcss.org.uk/brad.phphb201

Type specimens online : what is available, what is not, and how to proceed ; reflections based on an analysis of the images of type specimens of southern African Polygala (Polygalaceae) accessible on the worldwide web

The results of a gap analysis of the availability of internet-hosted images of the types of names of Polygala L. (Polygalaceae) in southern Africa accessible at JSTOR Global Plants (JGP) and on other sites in the worldwide web, are presented. The type information for names associated with this genus was recorded and analyzed with a view to suggest ways in which JGP and other internet resources that host specimen images might further expand and enrich their e-holdings, and to identify which non-partner institutions should be approached to collaborate in the Global Plants Initiative (GPI), the most successful specimen imaging thrust ever. Our analysis shows that images of 52% of the types of southern African Polygala names (208 names assessed) are accessible at JGP. Of these images, 74% have incorrect metadata or no information on what sort of type it depicts. For 25% of the accepted taxa of Polygala, no images of the types of their names are available online. This gap can mostly be filled by GPI partners who hold the majority of the types not yet imaged, most of which are likely not in type folders or do not carry annotations indicating their type status. JGP would significantly benefit from directly contracting taxonomic services to improve the quality of its data on types, thus enabling information to be fed back to partner institutions.The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is thanked for financial support for the Global Plants Initiative, and its forerunners, the African Plants Initiative and the Latin American Plants Initiative.http://www.botanik.univie.ac.at/iapt/s_taxon.phpam201

Clarifying the application of the long-confused name Aloe commutata, and the establishment of Aloe ×commutata Tod. (Asphodelaceae)

The taxonomic history and application of the long-confused name Aloe commutata Tod. is reviewed and clarified. The name had previously been variously included in the synonymy of Aloe macrocarpa Tod., A. maculata All. and A. grandidentata Salm-Dyck. We agree with Reynolds (1950) that it shows characters that are intermediate between the latter two species and is likely a hybrid between them. Given the distinct horticultural value of this hybrid, the name is here resurrected as Aloe ×commutata Tod. We also show that Engler never published a later homonym, Aloe commutata Engl.; his misapplied use of the name in a specific sense [A. commutata sensu auct. Engler (1892)], however, became entrenched in the literature.Die taxonomische Geschichte und Anwendung des lange fehlinterpretierten Namens Aloe commutata Tod. wird analysiert und geklärt. Der Name wurde früher unteschiedlich als Synonym von Aloe macrocarpa Tod., A. maculata All. und A. grandidentata Salm-Dyck betrachtet. Wir stimmen mit Reynolds (1950) überein, dass das Taxon Merkmale zeigt, die zwischen den zwei letztgenannten Arten stehen, und dass es sich wahrscheinlich um die entsprechende Hybride handelt. Unter Berücksichtigung des klaren gärtnerischen Potentials dieser Hybride wird der Name hier als Aloe ×commutata Tod. wieder aufgenommen. Wir zeigen zudem, dass Engler nie ein späteres Homonym Aloe commutata Engl. publizierte, aber seine fälschliche Anwendung des Namens [A. commutata sensu auct. Engler (1892)] auf Artebene hat sich tief in die Literatur eingegraben.http://www.bcss.org.uk/journal.htmlam201

A further species of Agave L., A. salmiana Otto ex Salm-Dyck (subsp salmiana) var. salmiana (Agavaceae), naturalised in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Agave salmiana Otto ex Salm-Dyck subsp. salmiana var. salmiana, the typical variety of this large-growing Mexican species, is here recorded as having become established in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. A description and key that can be used to distinguish it from A. americana L. subsp. americana var. americana and A. americana subsp. americana var. expansa (Jacobi) Gentry, both of which are large-growing and more widely naturalised in southern Africa, are provided. A comprehensive chronological synonymy summarises the complex nomenclatural and taxonomic histories of the species.Agave salmiana Otto ex Salm-Dyck subsp. salmiana var. salmiana, die typische Varietät dieser grosswüchsigen mexikanischen Art, wird hier als in der südafrikanischen Eastern Cape Province verwildert nachgewiesen. Eine Beschreibung und ein Bestimmungsschüssel erlauben die Unterscheidung des Taxons von zwei weiteren grosswüchsigen, im südlichen Afrika weit verbreitet verwilderten Taxa, A. americana L. subsp. americana var. americana und A. americana subsp. americana var. expansa (Jacobi) Gentry. Eine umfassende chronologische Synonymie fasst die komplexe nomenklatorische und taxonomische Geschichte der Art zusammen.http://www.bcss.org.uk/journal.htmlam201