Mats Thulin

Uppsala University | UU · Department of Organismal Biology

Docent, fil. dr. Inga Hedberg (Fig. 1) died in Uppsala on the 13th of January 2024, at the age of 96 years. Together with her husband, Olov Hedberg, she has been a central and tireless figure in a range of important international projects on African botany, probably with the Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea (1980-2009) as the most remarkable.

The genus Sanjappa , previously with the single species S. cynometroides in southern India, is expanded to include S. umbrosa , comb. nov., in northeastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China (Yunnan) and S. vietnamica , sp. nov., in southern Vietnam. Sanjappa differs from Thailentadopsis , its sister genus in the Zapoteca clade, by having leaves...

For the first time, the number of chromosomes was determined for 5 species of genus Pyrus L. (Rosaceae) from Armenia, viz. P. daralaghezii Mulk., P. hyrcana Fed. var. yeghegisi Akopian, P. medvedevii Rutzov, P. oxiprion Woronow, P. takhtajianii Fed., and the previous count of chromosomes number for P. caucasica Fed. was confirmed. All the explored...

The mustard family (Brassicaceae) is a scientifically and economically important family, containing the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and numerous crop species that feed billions worldwide. Despite its relevance, most phylogenetic trees of the family are incompletely sampled and often contain poorly supported branches. Here, we present the most...

The history of the genus Calliandra is reviewed, with particular reference to the two African species C. gilbertii and C. redacta. These species have been segregated as Afrocalliandra, based on proposed differences from a neotropical Calliandra. The stated differences are acalymmate, 7-celled (versus calymmate, 8-celled) polyads, presence (versus a...

Pouteria splendens is the only native species of Sapotaceae in Chile, a species once placed in the monotypic genus Gayella and known as G. valparadisaea, but for a long time treated as a Pouteria. In a phylogenetic analysis, this species was placed in an Australasian clade, not with its presumed relatives in South America. We used Bayesian inferenc...

Caralluma dolichocarpa is shown to be an older name for C. lavrani, a succulent species restricted to southern Yemen and southwestern Oman, and the new combination Ceropegia dolichocarpa is made. The new combination Ceropegia globosa is proposed for Echidnopsis globosa, another succulent, endemic to southern Yemen. Photographs, synonymies and notes...

The mustard family (Brassicaceae) is a scientifically and economically important family, containing the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and numerous crop species that feed billions worldwide. Despite its relevance, most published family phylogenies are incompletely sampled, generally contain massive polytomies, and/or show incongruent topologies b...

The new combination Vincetoxicum arabicum is made for a species in Saudi Arabia and northeastern and eastern Africa that has previously mostly been called Blyttia fruticulosa or Vincetoxicum fruticulosum. The basionym, Blyttia arabica, previously regarded as a superfluous name, is resurrected. A synonymy of V. arabicum is provided, and the species...

Cleome pallida is the name to be used for Dipterygium glaucum , widespread in desert habitats of northeastern Africa and southwestern Asia, when this species is treated as a Cleome . A comprehensive synonymy is provided and all names are typified. The record of Bunias orientalis made by Forsskål in Yemen is shown to be based on misidentified materi...

We present a phylogenetic analysis using plastid (matK, rbcL) and nuclear (nrITS) DNA for diverse Euploca spp. (formerly Heliotropium section Orthostachys) from the worldwide distribution of a genus and including species encompassing the wide physiological and morphological diversity of the genus. Our results indicate that some remarkably complex f...

The story of the life and botanical contributions of Juan Ignacio Molina (1740-1829), “the first Chilean scientist”, are briefly outlined. The generic name Lucuma is considered to be validly published by Molina in 1782, and the identities of the five species of the genus, L. bifera, L. turbinata, L. valparadisaea, L. keule, and L. spinosa, are disc...

The story of the life and botanical contributions of Juan Ignacio Molina (1740-1829), “the first Chilean scientist”, are briefly outlined. The generic name Lucuma is considered to be validly published by Molina in 1782, and the identities of the five species of the genus, L. bifera, L. turbinata, L. valparadisaea, L. keule, and L. spinosa, are disc...

The new species Ceropegia longirostris Thulin, M.G.Gilbert & Kaariye is described, illustrated and mapped. It is known from two localities, one on gypsum in the Somali National Regional State (Ogaden) in southeastern Ethiopia and one, based on a photographic record, from just east of Lake Turkana in northwestern Kenya. The new species is a member o...

Cystostemon heliocharis (Boraginaceae), previously known from Yemen and Somalia, is reported from Ethiopia, and a photograph of the species is provided. Trichodesma stocksii (Boraginaceae), previously known from Pakistan, Iran, and Oman, is reported from Yemen, and a drawing based on a Yemeni collection is provided. Clerodendrum hildebrandtii (Lami...

The new species Commicarpus altus Thulin from central Somalia and C. ogadenensis Thulin from southeastern Ethiopia are described, illustrated and mapped. Both species are shrubs with succulent leaves and white flowers, and they have previously been treated as forms of the widespread and variable C. plumbagineus (Cav.) Standl. Commicarpus altus is f...

Pentzia arabica, previously known only from a few collections from Yemen, is reported also from Jabal Samhan in Oman. This is the first record of a Pentzia in Oman, and the locality is the northernmost and easternmost known for the genus. A map of the distribution of P. arabica and its presumed sister species, P. somalensis in Somalia, is presented...

Formal description of a new species of frankincense tree from the islet of Samha, Socotra Archipelago, Yemen.

Many new combinations are needed in Euploca, previously regarded as Heliotropium section Orthostachys, to correspond with results of our forthcoming, world-wide, molecular phylogenetic analysis. We also need these names for our many δ13C determinations that identify many Euploca species exhibiting C4 photosynthesis and show that other Euploca speci...

The new species Mollugo viscosa Thulin & Harley is described from Minas Gerais in eastern Brazil. It was previously part of the recently published M. brasiliensis Thulin & Harley, a species that was found to be non‐monophyletic in molecular phylogenetic analyses. Mollugo brasiliensis is here divided into a northern species (M. brasiliensis s.str.)...

The new species Boswellia occulta is described from a small area in the Ceel Afweyn District of Somaliland (northwestern Somalia), where it is locally of considerable socio-economic importance. Although used for frankincense production by many generations of local harvesters, it has been unknown to science until now. Apart from the recently collect...

The new species Cucumis omissus Thulin from Yemen, Oman and Ethiopia is described and illustrated. According to phylogenetic analyses based mainly on nuclear ribosomal ITS sequences and chloroplast trnG sequences, the new species is sister to C. hastatus from Somalia and Ethiopia. A map showing the distributions of both C. omissus and C. hastatus i...

The genus Kewa in the monogeneric family Kewaceae (Caryophyllales) is revised. Six species are recognized, K. acida on St. Helena, K. angrae-pequenae in Namibia and South Africa, K. arenicola (incl. K. trachysperma) in South Africa, K. bowkeriana (incl. K. suffruticosa) widespread in eastern and southern Africa and inMadagascar, K. caespitosa in An...

Bourreria scabra Thulin & Razafim. (Boraginaceae), a new species from southern Madagascar, is described and illustrated. The plant was previously sometimes treated as conspecific with Bourreria lyciacea Thulin [[ Hilsenbergia lyciacea (Thulin)J.S. Mill.] in Somalia and Kenya. However, Bourreria scabra differs markedly from Bourreria lyciacea by its...

Traditional morphology-based taxonomy of dictyostelids is rejected by molecular phylogeny. A new classification is presented based on monophyletic entities with consistent and strong molecular phylogenetic support and that are, as far as possible, morphologically recognizable. All newly named clades are diagnosed with small subunit ribosomal RNA (1...

The mainly Mediterranean genus Rhodalsine (Caryophyllaceae) is revised and a single species, R. geniculata, is recognized, distributed from the Canary Islands in the west to Somalia in the east. The history of the taxon, which was known already during the 17th century but entirely overlooked by Linnaeus, is outlined. Variation and taxonomy are disc...

Fig. 2. Frequency distribution of number of fly families acting as pollinators per Ceropegia taxon.

Thulin, M. (2017). Lectotypification of Paramollugo nudicaulis (Molluginaceae). Candollea 72: 31-34. In English, English and French abstracts. The typification of Paramollugo nudicaulis (Lam.) Thulin (≡ Mollugo nudicaulis Lam.) has been problematic as no original material has been found in P. The lectotype designated here, Commerson s.n. from Mauri...

The only member of the generally herbaceous family Caryophyllaceae that may grow to a small tree is Sanctambrosia manicata, endemic to remote San Ambrosio Island, off the coast of Chile. The monospecific Sanctambrosia has been suggested to be closely related to Spergula and Spergularia (spurreys) on the basis of morphology, despite its treelike hab...

THULIN, M. & S.G. RAZAFIMANDIMBISON (2016). Ormocarpopsis anosyana Thulin & Razafim. (Fabaceae), a new species from southern Mada-gascar and its phylogenetic position. Candollea 71 : 281-286. In English, English and French abstracts. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15553/c2016v712a13 Ormocarpopsis anosyana Thulin & Razafim. (Fabaceae), a new species from...

The circumscription of Molluginaceae has changed radically in recent years, with Corbichonia being moved to Lophiocarpaceae, Limeum to Limeaceae, Macarthuria to Macarthuriaceae and all species of Hypertelis, except the type, to Kewa in Kewaceae. In a broad analysis of core Caryophyllales using plastid trnK-matK and rbcL sequences, the position of M...

Gymnocarpos has only about ten species distributed in the arid regions of Asia and Africa, but it exhibits a geographical disjunction between eastern Central Asia and western North Africa and Minor Asia. We sampled eight species of the genus and sequenced two chloroplast regions (rps16 and psbB–psbH), and the nuclear rDNA (ITS) to study the phyloge...

Thulin M. & Phillips S.: The identity of Pennisetum longistylum (Poaceae). — Willdenowia 45: 173–175. 2015. — Version of record first published online on 06 July 2015 ahead of inclusion in August 2015 issue; ISSN 1868-6397; © 2015 BGBM Berlin. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3372/wi.45.45202 Pennisetum longistylum, recently stated to be an older name for...

Blepharis gypsophila Thulin & Vollesen, a gypsum endemic from south-eastern Ethiopia, is described, illustrated and compared with similar species. Information on the ecology, distribution and conservation status of the new species is provided. © 2015, The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Hedrén M. & Thulin M.: A replacement name for a species of Hypoestes (Acanthaceae) from Somalia. — Willdenowia 45: 93. 2015. — Version of record first published online on 17 March 2015 ahead of inclusion in April 2015 issue; ISSN 1868-6397; © 2015 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3372/wi.45.45109 Hypoestes canescens Hedrén & Thulin, no...

Thulin, M., L. Nusbaumer & L. Gautier (2014). Bauhinia darainensis Thulin & Nusb. (Fabaceae), a new species from northern Madagascar. Candollea 69: 135–139. In English, English and French abstracts. Bauhinia darainensis Thulin & Nusb. (Fabaceae), a new species from the Loky-Manambato region of north-eastern Madagascar, is described and illustrated....

The new species Mollugo brasiliensis Thulin & Harley, a perennial viscous herb with 6–8 stamens, few-seeded capsules and tuberculate seeds, is described from eastern Brazil. It is compared primarily with the two other native members of Molluginaceae previously known from Brazil, M. verticillata L. and Glischrothamnus ulei Pilger.

Peltiera Du Puy & Labat is a Malagasy genus of two described species thought probably to be extinct at the time of its publication in 1997, when it was known only from a total of three pre-1950 collections. However, recent field work in east-central Madagascar has resulted in the discovery of still extant populations, and therefore it is now possib...

The new species Aloe nugalensis Thulin, a shrubby plant with long, drooping leaves and a drooping, branched inflorescence with long-pedicellate orange red flowers, is described from a gypsum hill in the Nugaal valley of northeastern Somalia. The only known material is an individual grown in the Botanical Garden of Uppsala University from seeds coll...

Background The Cucurbitaceae genus Trichosanthes comprises 90–100 species that occur from India to Japan and southeast to Australia and Fiji. Most species have large white or pale yellow petals with conspicuously fringed margins, the fringes sometimes several cm long. Pollination is usually by hawkmoths. Previous molecular data for a small number o...

Note. 24. Peltophorum dasyrhachis (Miq.) Kurz: une nouvelle occurence d’une espèce asiatique de Fabaceae (Caesalpinioideae) naturalisée dans le nortd-ouest de Madagascar, par Zachary S. Rogers et Mats Thulin. Deux collections récentes de Fabaceae du nord-ouest de Madagascar permettent de documenter la présence de Peltophorum dasyrhachis (Miq.) Kurz...

The snake gourd genus, Trichosanthes, is the largest genus in the Cucurbitaceae family, with over 90 species. Recent molecular phylogenetic data have indicated that the genus Gymnopetalum is to be merged with Trichosanthes to maintain monophyly. A revised infrageneric classification of Trichosanthes including Gymnopetalum is proposed with two subge...

Turneraceae, with just over 200 species in 10 genera, is today often included in a widely circumscribed Passifloraceae. The vast majority of the species are found in the New World, whereas generic diversity is largest in the Old World. According to current circumscriptions, three of the genera show trans-Atlantic disjunctions: Turnera with over 135...

The phylogenetic position and circumscription of the disjunct African genus Tribulocarpus is investigated with DNA sequences from plastid rps16 and trnL-F, and nuclear ITS. Representatives from all four subfamilies of Aizoaceae are included in the analyses, most of them from Aizooideae and Sesuvioideae. The position of Tribulocarpus as sister to th...

The phylogenetic position of the Afro-Asian genus Sphaerocoma is investigated using DNA sequences from plastid rps16 and ndhF, as well as from nuclear ITS and RPB2. Seven accessions of Sphaerocoma, representing all three currently recognized taxa, are analyzed along with sequences from genera that have been found to be closely related to Sphaerocom...

The new species Chorisochora chascanoides is described from limestone cliffs in north-eastern Somalia. Three species were previously known in Chorisochora, two in Yemen (Socotra) and one in NE South Africa and Botswana. On morphological grounds the Somali species is believed to be most closely related to the two species on Socotra. The pollen of th...

PREMISE OF STUDY: The legume genus Vigna and close relatives have highly elaborated floral morphologies that involve the coiling, bending, and intricate connection of flower parts. Banners, levers, platforms, and pumps have evolved that attract pollinators and then manipulate their movement. Given this three-dimensional floral complexity, the taxon...

Summary The new species Vernonia bayensis Thulin & Beentje from southern Somalia is described and illustrated, and a new key to the Somali species of the genus is presented.

The succulent biome is highly fragmented throughout the Old and New World. The resulting disjunctions on global and regional scales have been explained by various hypotheses. To evaluate these, we used Thamnosma, which is restricted to the succulent biome and has trans-Atlantic and trans-African disjunctions. Its three main distribution centers are...

Smith & al. (2010) have suggested that the apportionment of institutional votes for the Nomenclature Section of the International Botanical Congress based upon taxonomic activity represents a “colonial legacy“ that disadvantages developing nations, and that institutional votes should instead be distributed based at least in part upon a country's hu...

Smith & al. (2010) have suggested that the apportionment of institutional votes for the Nomenclature Section of the International Botanical Congress based upon taxonomic activity represents a “colonial legacy” that disadvantages developing nations, and that institutional votes should instead be distributed based at least in part upon a country's hu...

The new species Kleinia caespitosa, from crevices in limestone rocks at 1850–1900 m in northern Somalia, is described and illustrated. It is compared to the widespread and sympatric K. grantii, as well as to K. saginata in Oman.

Four species are recognized in the tropical African genus Satanocrater: S. fellatensis (= S. berhautii) in Sudan, Ethiopia and Guinea, S. ruspolii in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, S. somalensis (= S. coccineus) in Ethiopia and Somalia, and S. paradoxus in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. Three lectotypes and one neotype are selected. A key to the specie...

Euphorbia spissa, sp. nov., a tree known from a single population on a rocky limestone slope in northern Somalia, is described and illustrated. The species is compared with the widespread E. tirucalli, as well as with E. cameronii and E. bariensis (endemics in Somalia), E. arbuscula (endemic on Socotra), and E. uzmuk (endemic in northern Yemen).

The new species Boswellia globosa, from the foothills of the limestone escarpment along the Gulf of Aden in northern Somalia, and Commiphora lacerata, from a rocky limestone slope near the coast of the Indian Ocean in north-eastern Somalia, are described and illustrated.

The little-known Tetragonia pentandra, long regarded as a member of Aizoaceae in the Horn of Africa region, is included in a phylogenetic analysis using ITS sequence data of members of Betoideae (Chenopodiaceae). Patellifolia, including Tetragonia pentandra, is strongly supported as monophyletic and weakly supported as sister to a clade with Aphani...

The numerous disjunct plant distributions between Macaronesia and eastern Africa-Arabia suggest that these could be the relicts of a once continuous vegetation belt along the southern Tethys, which has been fragmented by Upper Miocene-Pliocene aridification. We tested this vicariance hypothesis with a phylogenetic analysis of Campylanthus (Plantagi...

The new species Euphorbia suborbicularis Thulin, E. kabridarensis Thulin, E. piceoides Thulin and E. michaelii Thulin, from the Somali National Regional State (Ogaden) of Ethiopia, are described and illustrated. E. suborbicularis is probably related to the eastern African E. polyantha, E. kabridarensis is obviously a close relative of E. intricata...

Summary The new species Coccinia ogadensis Thulin, from eastern Ethiopia and central Somalia, and Momordica argillicola Thulin, from eastern Ethiopia, south-central Somalia and north-eastern and eastern Kenya, are described and illustrated.

Summary One species of Caralluma, C. wilhelmii Thulin, and two species of Ceropegia, C. kaariyei Thulin and C. gypsophila Thulin, from the Somali National Regional State (Ogaden) of Ethiopia, are described and illustrated. Caralluma wilhelmii is compared with the eastern African C. priogonium K. Schum. and its relatives, whereas Ceropegia kaariyei...

Summary The new species Solanum pronum Thulin, from Acacia-Commiphora bushland in eastern Ethiopia and central Somalia, is described and illustrated. It is a member of Solanum sect. Somalanum and is compared with S. benadirense, S. jubae and S. pampaninii.

The widely used name Frangula alnus (syn. Rhamnus frangula) has in recent years been threatened by F. dodonei, an allegedly older name said to be published in a rare work by Pietro Arduino. However, from the context of Arduino's paper it is clear that “F. dodonei“ is not a binomial; it just happens to look like one, and has no nomenclatural status.

The currently accepted lectotype of the circumboreal species Lycopodium complanatum L., or Diphasiastrum complanatum (L.) Holub, is a specimen of the related species L. tristachyum Pursh, or D. tristachyum (Pursh) Holub, mainly distributed in eastern North America and Europe. This lectotype, in LINN, is here superseded in favour of an alternative o...

The new species Salvia geminata, a dwarf shrublet from rocky coastal slopes of the Mahrah Region in Yemen, is described and illustrated. A remarkable feature of the species is that the upper thecae of the stamens are inflexed and connate, a condition that seems to be previously unknown in the genus. The apparently closely related S. areysiana, prev...

Vicariant biogeographic relationships have been commonly sought, inferred, or assumed between Africa and South America. Yet for disjunct distributions involving North America and the Old World, Africa is rarely considered. We present a molecular biogeographic study in the legume family that suggests a vicariant biogeographical relationship between...

Recent studies show that the genus Cucumis L. in its current sense is paraphyletic, with Cucumella Chiovenda, Dicaelospermum C. B. Clarke, Mukia Arnott, Myrmecosicyos C. Jeffrey, and Oreosyce Hooker f. nested within it. A proposal to expand Cucumis to include these nested genera has therefore been made. In this paper the nomenclatural changes that...

Campylanthus hajarensis sp. nov. from a limestone gorge in the Hajar Mts in northern Oman, is described and illustrated. This is the first species of Campylanthus to be discovered in northern Oman. In addition, Campylanthus antonii, previously known only from Yemen, is recorded from the Dhofar Region in Oman.

The new species Cibirhiza spiculata Thulin & Goyder, from Acacia-Commiphora bushland on sand in the Somali National Regional State (Ogaden) of Ethiopia, is described and illustrated. Its conservation status has been assessed. A molecular phylogenetic analysis confirms its placement in the tribe Fockeeae and indicates a position of the new species a...

Phylogenetic analyses of 46 species, representing all tribes and 14 out of 18 recognized genera of Burseraceae, are performed using nuclear ETS and plastid rps16 sequences. Boswellia madagascariensis, the only Malagasy species of this genus, is shown to belong to a clade comprising all sampled members of the current tribe Canarieae plus Triomma, wh...

The circumscription of Chapmannia, previously considered a monotypic genus confined to Florida, is extended to include also Pachecoa (with a single species in Mexico, Guatemala and Venezuela) and Arthrocarpum (with one species on Socotra and one species in Somalia). The new combinations C. prismatica, C. somalensis and C. gracilis are made. Three n...

The new species Abrus baladensis, from fixed sand dunes near Mogadishu in south-central Somalia, and A. gawenensis, from limestone or sand over limestone in central Somalia, are described.

The new species Acacia harala and A. mahrana, both from southern Yemen, are described and illustrated. A. harala belongs to A. subgen. Acacia and is known from the Abyan and Shabwah Regions, whereas A. mahrana belongs to A. subgen. Aculeiferum and is known only from the Mahrah Region.

The following new species are described: Chamaecrista dunensis (Somalia), Acacia densispina (Somalia), A. flagellaris (Somalia), Tephrosia karkarensis (Somalia), T. scopulata (Somalia), Indigofera ancistrocarpa (Kenya), I. curvirostrata (Ethiopia), I. hiranensis (Somalia), I. karinensis (Somalia), I. kucharii (Somalia), I. nugalensis (Somalia), I....

The following new species are described: Polygala gypsophila (northern, central and southern Somalia, on gypsum), P. bariensis (northern Somalia, on limestone), P. hamarensis (coastal dunes near Mogadishu), P. argentea (central Somalia, on limestone near coast), P. gawenensis (central Somalia, on limestone), P. effusa (central Somalia and eastern E...

Three species of Exacum are recognized on the Arabian peninsula and Socotra, E. arabicum sp. nov. in Yemen and Oman, E. affine on Socotra and in Oman, and E. caeruleum on Socotra. E. gracilipes and E. socotranum are reduced to synonyms of E. affine.

Tephrosia hadramautica, a new species from the coastal plain of Hadramaut in southern Yemen, is described and illustrated. T. geminiflora, previously regarded as an endemic of Hadramaut, is reduced to a synonym of T. suhtriflora.

Acacia cernua, sp. nov., is described from open Acacia-Commiphora bushland on the foothills of the north-facing limestone escarpment running along the coast of northern Somalia. The new species is obviously closely related to the widespread A. etbaica that is common on this escarpment, but at considerably higher altitudes. A. cernua differs from A....

Acacia ochracea, a new species in the A. Senegal complex, is described and illustrated. It is a common and conspicuous tree over large areas in the western Bay Region and in the Gedo Region in SW Somalia.

Mollugo angustifolia sp. nov., from sandy plains of the Bay Region in southern Somalia, is described and illustrated.

The new species Scutellaria somalensis, from limestone slopes in north-eastem Somalia, is described and illustrated.

The circumscription of Gaillonia is extended to include Crocyllis as a new generic synonym. Gaillonia then becomes a genus with a marked disjunction between NE Africa and Arabia, and SW Africa. Nine species of Gaillonia are recognized in Africa and Arabia: G. yemenensis sp. nov. and G. jolana sp. nov. in Yemen, G. crocyllis comb. nov. in Namibia an...

The two new species Pentzia somalensis, from areas of gypseous soil in northern Somalia, and P. arabica from the limestone plateau of Hadramaut in southern Yemen, are described and illustrated. P. somalensis is the only member of Anthemideae known from Somalia, and the occurrence of Pentzia on both sides of the Gulf of Aden in the Horn of Africa re...

Erythroxylon socotranum, sp. nov., is described from limestone rocks on southwestern Socotra (Yemen). The species is the first representative of Erythroxylaceae to be known from Socotra and from South-West Asia in general.

Tephrosia socotrana sp. nov., a woody species growing on limestone cliffs in north-central Socotra (Yemen), is described and illustrated. strigosa is recorded from Socotra and Yemen for the first time.

Nine genera of Hyacinthaceae, Albuca, Bowiea, Dipcadi, Drimia, Drimiopsis, Lede-bouria, Ornithogalum, Schizobasis and Scilla, with a total of 34 species, are recognized in Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. One new species, Ledebouria urceolata, is described from Ethiopia. New combinations are Drimia simensis, Drimiopsis fisch...

Tetragonia pentandra, previously believed to be an endemic of Socotra, is reported from northern Somalia. T. retusa sp. nov., a very distinctive endemic of central Somalia with features that partly link Tetragonia and Tribulocarpus, is described and illustrated.

Campylanthus reconditus sp. nov., from limestone hills in north-eastern Somalia, is described and illustrated.

The new species Trachyandra triquetra, from shady limestone rocks in north-eastem Somalia, is described and illustrated. This apparently narrow endemic is the only member of this mainly South African genus in eastern and north-eastem tropical Africa except for the widespread T. saltii.