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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Four new species of Jatropha (Éuphorbiaceae) from Somalia

The following new species, all related to the Somali endemic Jatropha nogalensis in/. sect. Spinosa subsect. Spinosae , are described and illustrated: J. humifusa (coastal dunes of central Somalia), J. inaequispina (north-central Somalia, on limestone), and J. collina and J. spinosissima (both rocky ground in north-eastern Somalia). A hybrid between J. humifusa and the rather distantly related J. pelargoniifolia is reported.     

New species and combinations in Kleinia (Asteraceae) from the Horn of Africa

The new species Kleinia tuberculata , from open deciduous bushland on gypsum hills and gypseous limestone in northern and north-eastern Somalia, K. curvata , from evergreen bushland on limestone in northern Somalia, K. sabulosa , from deciduous bushland on sand in central Somalia, K. ogadensis , from deciduous bushland in eastern Ethiopia, K. gracilis , from dwarf bushland on limestone in north-eastern Somalia, and K. tortuosa , from alkaline plains in northern Somalia, are described, and for some of them illustrations are provided. The new combinations K. nogalensis and K. lunulata are made, and the recently described K. isabellae from eastern Ethiopia is placed in synonymy of K. lunulata.     

Three new species of Melhania (Sterculiaceae) from north-eastern tropical Africa

Melhania annua , sp. nov., from coastal or subcoastal dunes in Somalia and Kenya, M. hiranensis , sp. nov., from Acacia-Commiphora bushland on sand in south-central Somalia, and M. quercifolia , sp. nov., from coastal dunes in 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.     

Four new species of Sida (Malvaceae) from the Horn of Africa

Sida floccosa , sp. nov., from eastern Ethiopia and north-western Somalia, S. ogadensis , sp. nov., from eastern Ethiopia and central Somalia, 5. calliantha , sp. nov., from coastal dunes in southern Somalia, and S. longipedicellata sp. nov., from coastal dunes and sandy plains in central and south-central Somalia, are described and illustrated.     

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.     

Study of Siphonaptera in Somalia

In the period 1982-1984 samples of fleas were collected from wild animals of the Middle Scebeli, Low Scebeli and Bay Regions of Somalia. In total 1,335 specimens (486 males and 849 females) were obtained from 17 species of mammalian hosts out of the 19 examined. The following species of fleas were identified: Echidnophaga gallinacea, E. larina, E. murina, Ctenocephalides felis strongylus, Synosternus burtoni, S. somalicus, S. burtoni, S. somalicus, C. felis strongylus and E. larina are known to be widespread in Somalia; on the contrary, the presence of E. gallinacea in this country has not been reported in the literature, though the flea collection of the Institute of Parasitology of the University of Rome owns five females of this species which were collected by Zavattari in South Somalia during the year 1933. Moreover, as far as it is known, E. murina has not been reported in Somalia until now. The spermatheca of the females identified as S. burtoni is described in detail as it shows characteristics which have not been apparently reported before.     

Two new species of Vigna (Leguminosae) from Somalia

The new species Vigna monantha ( V. subgen. Vigna sect. Catjang ) from coastal dunes of northern and central Somalia, and V. virescens ( V. subgen. Macrorhynchus ) from the inland of central and southern Somalia are described and illustrated. V. virescens is unique in Vigna by having branched stylar hairs, a character indicating a relationship between V. subgen. Macrorhynchus and the monotypic Wajira.     

The consumption of khat and other drugs in Somali combatants: a cross-sectional study

Background

For more than a decade, most parts of Somalia have not been under the control of any type of government. This “failure of state” is complete in the central and southern regions and most apparent in Mogadishu, which had been for a long period in the hands of warlords deploying their private militias in a battle for resources. In contrast, the northern part of Somalia has had relatively stable control under regional administrations, which are, however, not internationally recognized. The present study provides information about drug abuse among active security personnel and militia with an emphasis on regional differences in relation to the lack of central governmental control—to our knowledge the first account on this topic.

Methods and Findings

Trained local interviewers conducted a total of 8,723 interviews of armed personnel in seven convenience samples in different regions of Somalia; 587 (6.3%) respondents discontinued the interview and 12 (0.001%) were excluded for other reasons. We assessed basic sociodemographic information, self-reported khat use, and how respondents perceived the use of khat, cannabis (which includes both hashish and marijuana), psychoactive tablets (e.g., benzodiazepines), alcohol, solvents, and hemp seeds in their units. The cautious interpretation of our data suggest that sociodemographic characteristics and drug use among military personnel differ substantially between northern and southern/central Somalia. In total, 36.4% (99% confidence interval [CI] 19.3%–57.7%) of respondents reported khat use in the week before the interview, whereas in some regions of southern/central Somalia khat use, especially excessive use, was reported more frequently. Self-reported khat use differed substantially from the perceived use in units. According to the perception of respondents, the most frequent form of drug use is khat chewing (on average, 70.1% in previous week, 99% CI 63.6%–76.5%), followed by smoking cannabis (10.7%, 99% CI 0%–30.4%), ingesting psychoactive tablets (8.5%, 99% CI 0%–24.4%), drinking alcohol (5.3%, 99% CI 0%–13.8%), inhaling solvents (1.8%, 99% CI 0%–5.1%), and eating hemp seeds (0.6%, 99% CI 0%–2.0%). Perceived use of khat differs little between northern and southern Somalia, but perceived use of other drugs reaches alarmingly high levels in some regions of the south, especially related to smoking cannabis and using psychoactive tablets.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that drug use has quantitatively and qualitatively changed over the course of conflicts in southern Somalia, as current patterns are in contrast to traditional use. Although future studies using random sampling methods need to confirm our results, we hypothesize that drug-related problems of armed staff and other vulnerable groups in southern Somalia has reached proportions formerly unknown to the country, especially as we believe that any biases in our data would lead to an underestimation of actual drug use. We recommend that future disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs need to be prepared to deal with significant drug-related problems in Somalia.     

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.     

Three new species of Heliotmpium (Boraginaceae) from the Horn of Afiica region

Heliotropium subspinosum sp. nov., from the coastal and subcoastal zones of Yemen, Oman and Somalia, is described and illustrated. This is a woody species with small leaves, and particularly the only 1–4–flowered inflorescences, the axes of which become subspinescent, are remarkable in the genus. H. laxum sp. nov., a slender shrublet from central Somalia, is described, and H. personatum sp. nov., a shrublet that is widespread and scattered, particularly on gypseous ground, in eastern Ethiopia, most parts of Somalia and in southern Yemen, is described and illustrated.     

Two new species of Polygala (Polygalaceae) from Somalia

The new species Polygala praetermissa , a dwarf perennial herb growing in stony places on limestone, and P. dasanensis , a shrublet apparently confined to gypsum, are described. Both species occur in the Cal Miskaat Range in north-eastern Somalia, but P. praetermissa has a wider distribution in northern Somalia.