Sesbania melanocaulis, sp. nov. (Leguminosae subfam. Papilionoideae) from SW. Ethiopia

Sesbania melanocaulis Bidgood & Friis sp. nov., is described from a mosaic of humid montane forest, forest margins, evergreen bushland and farmland in the Kefa and Welega Regions of SW. Ethiopia. The new species is a very distinctive small tree which is also widely used as a hedge plant throughout SW. Ethiopia. It belongs to subgen. Sesbania and resembles the widespread Sesbania sesban from which it differs most conspicuously in the dark purplish brown to almost black bark of the stems which are pilose to pubescent when young, the large pale tomentose stipules and the uniformly yellow flowers (dark dotted in S. sesban ). The importance of SW. Ethiopia as a local centre of endemism has been confirmed by several recent studies, including preparatory work for the Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The new species of Sesbania is only one of several leguminous trees which have been taken into domestication in Ethiopia.     

Rhus neoglutinosa sp. nov. (Anacardiaceae) and Teclea borenensis sp. nov. (Rutaceae) from Ethiopia.

Two new species, Rhus neoglutinosa M. Gilbert (Anacardiaceae) and Teclea borenensis M. Gilbert (Rutaceae) are described in preparation for the forthcoming Flora of Ethiopia.     

Dombeya kefaensis, sp. nov. (Sterculiaceae) from SW. Ethiopia

Dombeya kefaensis Friis & Bidgood sp. nov., is described from a mosaic of humid montane forest, forest margins, evergreen bushland and farmland of the Kefa Region, SW. Ethiopia. The new species belongs to a group of species in Dombeya subgen. Dombeya with several other endemics in that part of Ethiopia. Among the Ethiopian species of Dombeya subgen. Dombeya it resembles especially D. aethiopica in indumentum and flower colour, but differs in leaf-morphology and habit; it resembles D. buettneri in habit, but differs in the leaf apex being broadly acute to rounded, the sepals and petals longer, and the style having a notable indumentum in more than the basal half. Recent studies have confirmed that a number of taxa belonging to other genera and families are restricted to the Kefa Region and adjacent parts of SW. Ethiopia which confirms the importance of the area as a local centre of diversity.     

Four new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aloe</Emphasis> (Aloaceae) from Ethiopia,with notes on the ethics of describing new taxa from foreign countries

Subsequent to the treatment of the Aloaceae, with 38 species of Aloe, in the Flora of Ethiopia (Sebsebe Demissew & Gilbert 1997), four more species, Aloe bertemariae Sebsebe & Dioli (2000), A. friisii Sebsebe & M. G. Gilbert (2000), A. clarkei L. E. Newton (2002) and A. elkerriana Dioli & T. A. McCoy (2007) have been described from that country. Here four additional new species are described: Aloe benishangulana Sebsebe & Tesfaye from near Assosa, Benishangul-Gumuz in Welega floristic region; A. ghibensis Sebsebe & Friis from the Ghibe Gorge, Kefa floristic region; A. weloensis Sebsebe from near Dessie in Welo floristic region and A. welmelensis Sebsebe & Nordal along the Welmel River in Bale floristic region. The phytogeographical positions of the new species are assessed by comparison with the previously known species. Complications with the deposition of type material of A. clarkei and A. elkerriana is used to raise various issues regarding the ethics of describing new taxa from foreign countries.     

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.     

Four new species of Asparagus (Asparagaceae) from the Flora Zambesiaca area

Summary  Four new species of Asparagus (Asparagaceae) from the Flora Zambesiaca area are described and illustrated; the need for more collections is highlighted to assess their conservation status. Asparagus botswanicus Sebsebe is known from a single locality in Botswana; A. chimanimanensis Sebsebe occurs in Zimbabwe and Mozambique; A. richardsiae Sebsebe is known in Zambia and A. radiatus Sebsebe is from a small restricted area (Goba) in Mozambique and Umbeluzi Gorge in Swaziland.     

Three new species of Chascanum (Verbenaceae) and notes on the genus in the Horn of Africa region

The new species Chascanum mixtum, from evergreen bushland and rocky slopes in north-western Somalia, C. elburense. from deciduous bushland mainly on sand in central Somalia, and C. glandulosum, from Acacia-Commiphora bushland on sandy soil in north-western Somalia, are described and illustrated. C. sessilifolium (Vatke) Moldenke is recircumscribed and neotypified with a specimen from the original type locality, and C. obovatum Sebsebe ssp. glaucum Sebsebe is placed in the synonymy of C. gillettli Moldenke.     

A Ploceus sp. nov. from Uganda

A new species of weaverbird, Ploceus victoriae , is described from Entebbe, Uganda. Its nearest relatives are Ploceus taeniopterus of northeast Zaïre, Sudan, Ethiopia and northwest Kenya, and Ploceus velatus , widespread through East Africa and across the Sahel to the Atlantic, but it differs in several morphological and behavioural characteristics.     

Brachymenium deceptivum sp. nov. (Bryaceae) from Ethiopia

Brachymenium deceptivum, known only from the type specimen, is described from Ethiopia. It is immediately distinguished from all other species of the genus by its complete lack of an exostome.     

Indigofera rubromarginata sp. nov. (Leguminosae) from southern Arabia, with a note on I. eremophila

Thulin, M. 1995. Indigofera rubromarginata sp. nov. (Leguminosae) from southern Arabia, with a note on I. eremophila. — Nord. J. Bot. 15: 519–521. Copenhagen. ISSN 0107–055X.
The new species Indigofera rubromarginata , widespread along the coast of southern Arabia in Yemen and Oman, is described and illustrated. The closely related I. eremophila , previously known only from eastern Ethiopia and Somalia, is reported also from Yemen.     

Botryozyma nematodophila gen. nov., spec. nov. (Candidaceae)

The new genusBotryozyma with a single species,B. nematodophila is proposed for two isolates from nematodes (Panagrellus zymosiphilus) occurring in grapes with sour-rot. The new genus has typical ascomycetous characteristics and, being unable to produce ascospores, is placed in the family Candidaceae.     

Chassalia magnificens sp. nov. and C. chrysoclada comb. nov. (Rubiaceae) from central Africa

Chassalia magnificens, a new species from the Albertine Rift in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is described and illustrated. The species is recognised inter alia by its large stipules and montane habitat. Chassalia chrysoclada is a new combination for a widespread, but hitherto overlooked, central African species originally described in the genus Psychotria. Chassalia chrysoclada is related to C. pteropetala (K. Schum.) Cheek but lacks the bicostate twigs and dorsally winged corolla lobes of that species.     

Two new species of Acacia (Leguminosae–Mimosoideae) from Ethiopia and Yemen

Two new species of Acacia belonging to subgenus Acacia, A. origena from the high lands of N Ethiopia and Yemen and A. prasinata from the Rift Valley in central Ethiopia are described. The external morphology of the latter species is shortly described.     

Diospyros korupensis sp. nov. and Diospyros onanae sp. nov. (Ebenaceae) from Cameroon

Diospyros korupensis Gosline is described as a new species endemic to the Korup National Park in Cameroon and neighbouring areas on the slopes of Mt Cameroon. Diospyros onanae Gosline is described as a new species from the South and Southwest Regions of Cameroon allied to the poorly known D. soyauxii Gürke & K. Schum. ex. Gürke.     

Afrochoerodon nov. gen. kisumuensis (MacInnes) (Proboscidea,Mammalia) from Cheparawa,Middle Miocene,Kenya

A proboscidean skull from Cheparawa, (Muruyur Formation, Kenya), differs markedly from those of Eurasian Choerolophodon (C. pentelici, C. dhokpathanensis). It is morphologically and metrically close to the holotype of Choerolophodon kisumuensis (MacInnes) a partial skull from Maboko, much of which has been reconstructed in plaster of Paris. The more complete remains of this species now available indicate that it should be placed in a genus separate from Choerolophodon. The new genus Afrochoerodon is erected for it. Choerolophodon ngorora from Ngorora and Fort Ternan (Kenya), Choerolophodon zaltaniensis from Gebel Zelten (Libya) and Choerolophodon chioticus from Chios, Greece, should be transferred to the genus Afrochoerodon. Late Miocene specimens from Nakali, Kenya are probably referrable to the genus Choerolophodon. Fossils from Burji-Soyama (Ethiopia) hitherto assigned to Choerolophodon sp. are excluded from the subfamily Choerolophodontinae.     

Erysimum damirliense sp. nov. (Brassicaceae) from Iran

Erysimum damirliense, a new species of Brassicaceae from Zanjan and Ardebil provinces (northwest Iran) is described and illustrated. The new species resembles E. uncinatifolium and E. elbrusense, but is easily recognized by its life form, basal leaf margin, indumentum of cauline leaves, number of flowers in the main raceme, fruit width and style length. Phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) DNA sequences confirm that the new species is distinct from morphologically similar species.     

Two new species of Justicia sect. Ansellia (Acanthaceae) from E and NE tropical Africa

The new species Justicia ornatopila from Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, and J. lorata from Kenya are described and illustrated. Information on pollen morphology is also provided