The genus Borassus (Arecaceae) in West Africa, with a description of a new species from Burkina Faso

Borassus akeassii Bayton, Ouédraogo & Guinko sp. nov. (Arecaceae) is described as a new species from western Burkina Faso in West Africa. It has been confused with the widely distributed African species B. aethiopum and more recently with the Asian B. flabellifer . However, it is distinguished by its glaucous, green leaves with weakly armed petioles and a characteristic pattern of lamina venation. The fruits have a pointed apex and are greenish when ripe, and the flowers of the pistillate inflorescence are arranged in three spirals. The pollen has a reticulate tectum and distinctive ornamentation. The distribution of B. akeassii is discussed and the status of the varieties of Borassus aethiopum (var. bagamojensis and var. senegalensis ) is examined.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 150 , 419–427.