Dioscoreas of the Southern Cape

Ludwig Muller
ludwigxem@gmail.com

@outramps-tanniedi @nicky @jeremygilmore this article is a not complete yet- I'll need to consult Herbarium references- but it'll work for now.

According to Di Turner (pers. comm.) the Dioscoreas of the Garden Route are difficult to identify- at least, to species level. This article aims to clear up the confusion surrounding this cryptic genus with regard to the populations in the Garden Route area, which is defined as the region south of the Kammanassie mountains, west of Harkerville and east of Herbertsdale.
Dioscorea hemicrypta is here treated as the same species as D. elephantipes.

Dioscorea sylvatica Eckl.
iNat holotype: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/118894140
iNat paratype: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/122810662

Dioscorea mundii Baker
iNat holotype: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/16318758
iNat paratype: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/13581613

Dioscorea burchellii Baker
iNat holotype: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/91632981
iNat paratype: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/18062864

Dioscorea elephantipes (hemicrypta) (L'Her) Engl.
iNat holotype: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10925084
iNat paratype: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11081393

Key:

  • 1. N of the Outeniquas. Leaves pale blue/turquoise....... D. elephantipes/hemicrypta complex
    -Leaves green....... 2

  • 2. Leaves shallowly cordate at base....... D. burchellii
    -Leaves deeply cordate....... 2

  • 3. Leaves deeply incised, edges slightly concave, appearing very shallowly trilobed....... D. sylvatica
    -Leaf edges more convex than otherwise....... D. mundii

Projects worth joining if you found this article interesting:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/lianes-and-creepers-of-the-southern-cape-and-little-karoo

References:
burchellii- http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=1777-3
https://plants.jstor.org/compilation/Dioscorea.burchellii

sylvatica- http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=1777-4002
http://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/subs/dio-syl-sub.asp
https://plants.jstor.org/compilation/Dioscorea.sylvatica

elephantipes- http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=1777-12
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:317936-1

(elephantipes) hemicrypta- http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=1777-13

mundii- http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=1777-18
https://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.flora.floc015585

Posted on 02 July, 2022 09:41 by ludwig_muller ludwig_muller

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