Section of tropical taxonomy: Seven new species and one new record of Polygala (Polygalaceae) from Somalia

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 Ethiopia, on sand), P. citrina (southern Somalia, on granitic outcrops). P. meonantha is reported for the first time from Somalia.     

Pentzia (Asteraceae-Anthemideae) in the Horn of Africa region

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 region represents a major extension of the distribution of the genus that is otherwise restricted to southern Africa except for two species in Morocco, Algeria and Tchad.     

Seven new species of Pavonia (Malvaceae) from the Horn of Africa

Pavonia friisii , sp. nov., from south-eastern Ethiopia and south-central and southern Somalia, P. nigrescens , sp. nov., from south-central and southern Somalia, P. matteiana , sp. nov., from south-central Somalia, P. longipilosa , sp. nov., from eastern Ethiopia, P. rotundifolia , sp. nov., from eastern Ethiopia and northern and central Somalia, P. marginata , sp. nov., from central Somalia, and P. paucibracteata , sp. nov., from central Somalia, are described and illustrated.     

New or noteworthy species of Leguminosae in NE tropical Africa

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. pellucida (Kenya, Somalia), I. sabulosa (Ethiopia, Somalia), I. sessilis (Somalia), I. ienuirostris (Somalia), Rhynchosia megalocalyx (Somalia), Crotalaria allophylla (Somalia), C. intricata (Somalia), C. warfae (Somalia), and Coronilla somalensis (Somalia). 2n = 22 is reported in Tephrosia karkarensis. Cassia somalensis, Acacia puccioniana, Sophora somalensis , and Crotalaria sennii are reduced to synonyms of respectively Senna hookeriana, Dichrostachys kirkii, Millettia usaramensis and Crotalaria boranica subsp. trichocarpa . Thirty-seven taxa are reported from Somalia for the first time, including Ptycholobium biflorum , known previously only from Southern Africa. Crotalaria pieropoda , known previously only from Socotra, is reported from Somalia and Oman. Neptunia oleracea and Vatovaea pseudolablab are new generic records for respectively Ethiopia and Oman. The fruits of Indigofera boranica are described. Vigna somaliensis and an allied species are discussed. Rhynchosia gansole is lectotypified and its flowers and fruits are described.     

Polychaeta “Sedentaria” of Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea,Antarctica): Capitellidae to Serpulidae

Capitellidae, Maldanidae, Trichobranchidae, Terebllidae, Sabellidae, Serpulidae and Spirorbidae found in Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica) have been studied. Thirty-one species have been identified, one of which, Praxillella praetermissa antantica is a new subspecies. About 75% of the species are endemic to Antarctica or sub-Antarctica. The geographic distribution of some species has been extended.     

Phyllanthus xylorrhizus (Phyllanthaceae), a new species from Somalia

The new species Phyllanthus xylorrhizus, from limestone rocks along the coast of north-eastem Somalia, is described, illustrated, and compared with two other Somali endemics, P.lunifolius and P. spinosus.     

Three new species of Portulaca sect. Neossia from east and northeast Africa

Three new species of Portulaca sect. Neossia are described: P. constricta from SE Ethiopia and Somalia; P. commutata , widespread in the Somali-Masai phytochorion of east and northeast Africa, and P. bulbifera from S Ethiopia and N Kenya.     

Records of East African lichens in cool temperate Australia

Three East African lichens, Cladonia praetermissa var. modesta comb, nov., Phaeophyscia fumosa, Pyxine nubila are recorded from cool temperate Australia and their distribution and ecology are discussed. The disjunction in distribution is considered unlikely to be due to long-distance dispersal and the species may represent ancient relicts.     

Bauhinia leucantha sp. nov. (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae) and notes on B. ellenbeckii

Bauhinia leucantha sp. nov. is described from central Somalia. The new species is related particularly to B. ellenbeckii in Ethiopia and Somalia, B. teitensis in Kenya, and B. natalensis in eastern South Africa. B. somalensis is reduced to a synonym of B. ellenbeckii and the distribution of this species is shown to extend to northern Somalia.     

Eight new species and a new record of Indigofera and Microcharis (Leguminosae-Indigofereae) from Somalia

The following new species are described: Indigofera bayensis (south-west Somalia, on sand or gravel in Acacia-Commiphora bushland), I. gypsacea (central and south-west Somalia, on gypsum), I. karkarensis (north-east Somalia, on limestone), I. lamellata (south-west Somalia, on and around granitic outcrops), I. lughensis (south-west Somalia, on gypsum), I. phymatodea (south-west Somalia, on granitic outcrops), I. scopiformis (central Somalia, on sand in Acacia-Commiphora bushland), and Microcharis nematophylla (central Somalia, on sand in Acacia-Commiphora bushland). Indigofera pseudointricata , previously known only from Socotra, is reported also from Somalia.     

New species of Cucumis (Cucurbitaceae) from northeast tropical Africa

The new species Cucumis hastatus (widespread in southern Somalia, in deciduous bushlands), C. pubituberculatus (central Somalia, on open coastal dunes), C. Jeffrey-anus (southwestern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia, on alluvial soils), and C. baladensis (south-central Somalia, on fixed dunes), are described and illustrated. C. figarei is shown to be illegitimate, the correct name for the species apparently being C. pustulatus.     

Notes on the Caryophyllaceae of Ethiopia and Somalia

Four new species from Somalia are described: Herniaria bicolor, Lochia parvibracta, Polycarpaea guardafuensis and P. clavifolia. Two new combinations are made: Minuartia ellenbeckii and Silene gillettii.     

Ten new species of Commiphora (Burseraceae) from Somalia

The following new species are described: Commiphora arenaria from bushland on sand in south-central Somalia, C. gardoensis from limestone slopes in the Qardho area in north-eastem Somalia, C. stellatopubescens from bushland on limestone outcrops or stony ground in the Hiiraan Region in south-central Somalia, C. spinulosa from limestone rocks on the escarpment along the Gulf of Aden in northeastern Somalia, C. lobatospathulata from bushland on sand in central and south-central Somalia, C. quercifoliola from bushland on shallow soil over limestone near Eil in north-eastem Somalia, C. chiovendana from bushland in northern and central Somalia, C. multifoliolata from limestone hills and ridges in south-westem Somalia, C. murraywatsonii from limestone outcrops near Hobyo in central Somalia, and C. kucharii from bushland on shallow soils over limestone in central and southern Somalia.     

The Peniophorella praetermissa species complex (Basidiomycota)

The corticioid basidiomycete Peniophorella praetermissa has long been regarded as a morphologically variable species complex. An ITS-based phylogenetic study based on a worldwide sampling was carried out using parsimony and Bayesian inference. The resulting trees feature three major clades, further divided into well-supported subclades. These could be considered as distinct species, a contention that is further supported by crossing test data. Only two out of the eight phylogenetic lineages identified can be distinctly morphologically characterized: P. odontiaeformis and P. subpraetermissa. P. odontiaeformis is an odontioid species with a paleotropical distribution whereas the taxa in the remaining subclades have smooth basidiomata and are distributed in temperate areas. P. subpraetermissa is known only from the type collection and is distinguished microscopically by its reddish brown apically encrustated cystidia. Taxa in the remaining subclades are impossible to distinguish from each other morphologically, and therefore, are viewed as a species complex, P. praetermissa s. lat. One of the subclades, which is widely distributed but restricted to the Northern hemisphere, is proposed to represent P. praetermissa s. str. An epitype is selected from the same area as the holotype, among the specimens studied here. However, the geographically most widespread clade with many representatives from both hemispheres is here referred to as P. pertenuis, a taxon that was previously considered a synonym to P. praetermissa.     

Two new species of Dyschoriste (Acanthaceae) from Somalia

The new species Dyschoriste bayensis, from a granitic inselberg in southern Somalia, and D. miskatensis, from open bushland on limestone in north-eastern Somalia, are described and illustrated.     

Four new species of Commicarpus (Nyctaginaceae) from NE tropical Africa

The new species Commicarpus hiranensis from the inland of central Somalia, C. mistus from Somalia, SE Ethiopia, NE Kenya and S Arabia, C. parviflorus from the coastal and subcoastal parts of central Somalia, and C. ramosissimus from NE Somalia are described and illustrated.     

A new spiny Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) species from northeast Somalia

A small succulent, spiny Euphorbia is described as a new species, E. patentispina , endemic to Somalia, with a limited distribution in the northeast region of Bari. Its relationship to other species of the same group—those producing subsessile capsules and a single spine from each spine shield—occurring in northern Somalia is discussed.     

Notes on Convolvulus, Astripomoea, Ipomoea and Merremia (Convolvulaceae) from the Horn of Africa

The six new species Convolvulus scopulatus, a shrub from gypseous semidesert coastal plains in northern Somalia, Astripomoea procera, a woody climber in Acacia-Commiphora bushland on sand in south-central Somalia, Ipomoea hiranensis, a prostrate or climbing shrublet in Acacia-Commiphora bushland in rocky places on sandstone in south-central Somalia, Ipomoea galhareriana, a woody climber in bushland on sand in central Somalia, Ipomoea pogonantha, a woody climber in bushland usually on red soil over limestone in eastern and southern Ethiopia, southern Somalia and northern Kenya, and Ipomoea corrugata, a herb with trailing stems in bushland on sandy soil in south-central Somalia, are described, and illustrations are provided for most of them. The new combinations Ipomoea ovatolanceolata (= I. adenoides var. ovatolanceolata) and Merremia obtusa (= M. ampelophylla subsp. obtusa) are made, and a new synonymy is provided for M. ampelophylla. Merremia ellenbeckii is neotypified and M. lobata is placed in synonymy.