THREE SUBSPECIES OF EUCOM IS AUTUMNALIS*
140 NOTES O N A FR IC AN PLANTS
W ithin the genus Eucomis L ’H érit. there is a gro u p o f plants o f problem atic circum scription. These plants vary in height from 200-500 m m and are a h o m o geneous green in colour. As a result, the different tax a o f this group have never been clearly defined and various nam es such as E. autumnalis (M ill.) C hitt., E. albomarginata Barnes, E. amaryllidifolia Baker, E. clavata Baker, E. macrophylla h o rt., E. regia sensu A it., E. robusta Baker a n d E. undulata A it. have been assigned to them .
In an unpublished m onograph o f the genus (R eyneke, 1972), it was concluded th a t the group consisted o f only three taxa, all varieties o f E. autum nalis, nam ely var. autumnalis, var. am arylli difolia and var. clavata. In this note the three tax a are published as subpecies, since they occupy fairly distinct geographical areas.
Eucomis autumnalis (M ill.) Chitt. in R oyal H ort. Soc. D iet. G ard. 2 :7 8 7 (1951). T ype: ap p aren tly none p reserv ed ; n e o ty p e : eastern C ape, Flanagan 2590 (B O L ; N B G , PR E, isoneo.).
Bulb pyriform with d ark brow n o r red-brow n m em branous tunics. Leaves plain green, w ith o u t a purple colour, usually linear, som etim es lanceolate or o v ate; with a distinct m idrib; m argin u n d u late; cuticle on m argin dentate or crenate. Inflorescence a hom ogeneous green racem e with 50-125 flowers. Peduncle cylindrical or clavate. Scape 60-200 m m long. Bracts linear, sh o rter th a n the flowers except for those situated at the apex w hich are longer. Coma w ith 10-45 sterile bracts, usually pendulous over the inflorescence; bracts oblong, linear o r ovate, m argin un d u late, cuticle on m argin un d u late a n d /o r dentate. Pedicel erecto-patent, 3-9 m m long. Flowers 50-125; w hite, yellow-green or light green im m ediately after anthesis, older flowers green. Perianth w ith
6
segm ents lanceolate to ovate, persistent. Stam ens6
, arising from the base o f p erianth, the filam ents triangular-acum inate, their b ro a d bases fused below to form a cup 3-4 mm high. Gynoecium w hite or yellow -green in young stage, green w hen o ld er; style cylindrical; stigm a sim ple; ovary w ith three lateral indentations. Capsule trilo cu lar; pericarp m em braneous, fles iy or hard , opaque w ith2
distinct layers. Flowering period D ecem ber to F ebruary.Eucomis autumnalis is usually found in open grassland, b ut also in sheltered places e.g. in rock crevices, under trees and shrubs an d even in swam ps.
T he m orphology o f the peduncle, w hether clavate or cylindrical, is a distinctive ch aracter w hich does n o t change in different h ab itats and is used to distinguish between the three subspecies. A cylindrical scape is characteristic o f the subsp. autum nalis, while the subspp. amaryllidifolia an d clavata b o th have clavate scapes (Fig. 9).
Key to the subspecies
Leaves linear 15-40 mm broad and 130-300 mm long, margin undulate; peduncle clavate; perianth segments 6-10 mm long; capsule papery. .(b) subsp. amaryllidifolia Leaves ovate to lanceolate, seldom linear, 40-130 mm
broad, 150-550 mm long, margin undulate; peduncle cylindrical or clavate; peranth segments 10—16 mm long:
Peduncle clavate; capsule with a hard double-layered pericarp... (c) subsp. clavata Peduncle cylindrical; capsule with a thin, sometimes
inflated, pericarp...(a) subsp. autumnalis * Part of an M.Sc. thesis submitted to the University of Pretoria.
(a) subsp. autumnalis
Fritillaria autumnalis Mill., Gard. Diet. ed. 8 (1768); Eucomis autumnalis (Mill.) Chitt. in Royal Hort. Soc. Diet. Gard. 2:787 (1951).
F. longifolia Hill in Hill’s Hort. Kew. ed. 2, 3 5 4 ,1.15 (1769); Vitman, Sum. PI. 2: 299 (1789-1792).
Eucomis undulata Ait., Hort. Kew. ed. 1, 1:433 (1789); Don, Hort. Cant. ed. 2, 40 (1796); Willd., Sp. PI. 2: 93 (1799); Gawler in Curtis’s bot. Mag. 27: 1.1083 (1808); Willd., Enum. 364 (1809); Ait., Hort. Kew. ed. 2, 146 (1811); Don, Hort. Cant. ed. 6, 86 (1811); Trattinick, Thes. Bot. t.53 (1819); Thunb., FI. Cap. ed. 2, 317 (1823); Hook., Cat. PI. R. Bot. Gard. 1:26 (1825); Spreng., L. Syst. Veg. 2 :7 6 (1825); Roem. & Schult., Syst. Veg. 7: 622-623 (1829); Kunth, Enum. PI. 4: 302 (1843); Baker in J. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) 13: 225 (1873); Nicholson, Illus. Diet. Gard. 1:538 (1885); Engler & Prantl, Pflanzenfam. 2: 67, fig. 47 (1888); Bak. in FI. Cap. 6: 476-477 (1897); Engler & Drude, Veg. der Erde, 2: 301, fig. 203 (1908); Pole Evans in Flower. PI. S. Afr. 6: t.220 (1926); Grey, Hardy Bulbs 3:236 (1938); Batten & Bokelmann, Wild Flow. E. Cape Prov. 12 (1966); Gledhill, East Cape Wild FI. 72 (1969). Ornithogalum undulatum (Ait.) Thunb., Prodr. 1, 62 (1794). Basilaea undulata (Ait.) Mirb., Hist. Nat. PI. 8:339 (1802-1806). Type: specimen in BM.
E. regia sensu auct. sequent.: Ait., Hort. Kew. 1: 433 (1789); Soland. in Salisb. Prodr. 218 (1796), as Eucomea regia; Don, Hort. Cant, ed.2, 40 (1796); Willd., Sp. PI. 2: 93 (1799); Red., Liliac. 4 : 1.175 (1807); Ait., Hort. Kew. ed.2, 2:245 (1811); Roem. & Schult., Syst. Veg. 7: 623 (1829); Kunth, Eium. PI. 4: 302 (1843); non L’Héritier. Basilaea regia sensu Mirb., Hist. Nat. PI. 8: 339 (1802-1806).
Basilaea coronata Lam., Encycl. 1: 382 (1789); Lam., Encycl. 1:590 (1810); Poiret, Encycl. suppl. 1, 590 (1810-1811); Lam., Tabl. Encycl. t.239, fig. 2 (1823).
Eucomis clavata sensu Van der Spuy, Die Groot Veld-blommeboek 175 (1971), non Baker.
Bulb pyriform . Leaves linear to ovate, 60-130 mm broad and 150-550 m m long, m argin undulate. Inflorescence 40-55 m m in diam eter with 70-110 com pactly arranged flowers. Peduncle cylindrical, sometimes slightly clavate, 60-200 (300) m m long. Scape 60-200 mm long. Coma 70-150 m m in diam eter, 10-45 bracts; bracts oblong, 30-70 m m long and 20-40 mm broad and 4-5 mm in diam eter. Perianth segments 10-13 mm long. Capsule w ith m em branous pericarp. Figs 9 & 10.
Subsp. autumnalis usually grows as single plants in open grassland, on m ountain slopes and forest margins o f M alawi, R hodesia, n o rth e rn Transvaal and the eastern Cape.
Ma l a w i.— 1234 (Kota Kota): Kota Kota (-CC), Benson 89 (PRE).
Rh o d e s ia.— 1832 (Umtali): Inyanga (-BA), Juliesdale, Rutherford-Smith 505 (PRE), World’s View (-BA), Plowes 2680 (PRE). 1932 (Melsetter): Umtali, Vumba Mountain (-BA), Obermeyer 2138 (PRE), Castle Beacon (-BA), Farrar 4041 (PRE), Plowes 2240 (PRE).
Tr a n s v a a l.—2330 (Tzaneen): Duiwelskloof (-CA), West-falia Estate, Scheepers 297 (PRE), 2427 (Thabazimbi): Krans-berg (-BC), farm Groothoek, Codd 6314 (PRE). 2529 (Witbank): Loskop Dam (-A D ), Theron 1769 (PRE & PRU). Ca p e.—3024 (De Aar): Hondeblafriver (-BC), “ Horses Grave”, Burchell 2701 (K). 3029 (Kokstad): Cedarville (-AC), M xmyani, Bandert 111 (GRA). 3224(Graaff-Reinet): Sneeuberg (-AA), Burke, s.n. (K). 3225 (Somerset East): Cradock Berg-kwagga Park (-AB), Muller 660 (PRE). 3227 (Stutterheim): Moordenaarskop (-BD ) near Komga, Flanagan 2590 (BOL, NBG & PRE). 3325 (Port Elizabeth): Uitenhage (-CD ), Ecklon & Zeyher 102 (K).
N o specimen was apparently preserved at the tim e o f the original description o f this plant, which was grown in England by M iller from seeds which were sent to him from the C ape o f G ood Hope therefore, in the absence o f a figure, a neotype, Flanagan 2590, is selected.
VARIOUS AUTHORS 141
Fi g. 9 .— D r a w i n g s o f 1, Eucomis autumnalis s u b s p . autumnalis; 2 , s u b s p . amaryllidifolia; 3 , s u b s p . clavata.
Fi g. 10.—The k n o w n d i s t r i b u t i o n o f Eucomis autumnalis s u b s p . autumnalis.
from the eastern C ape show ing affinity w ith subsp. clavata in grow th an d leaf form s, and those w ith a northern d istrib u tio n from M alaw i, R hodesia and the n o rth ern T ransvaal show ing affinity with E. pallidiflora Bak. except in stature. These tw o form s could possible be regarded as distinct subspecies, b ut there are so m any interm ediates th a t such a distinction would be tenuous.
(b) subsp. am aryllidifolia (B a k.) R eyn eke, stat. nov.
E. amaryllidifolia Bak. in Gard. Chron. 2, 10:492 (1878); Nicholson, Illus. Diet. Gard. 1:537 (1885); Bak. in FI. Cap. 6:477 (1897); Grey, Hardy Bulbs 3:232 (1938); Chitt. in Royal Hort. Soc. Diet. Gard. 2: 787 (1951). Type: Eastern Cape Bosberg, MacOwan 1907 (K, h olo.!; GRA, iso.!).
Small plants n o t m ore th an 350 mm high. Bulb pyriform. Leaves linear, 130-300 (500) mm long, 15—40 mm b ro ad , m argin undulate. Inflorescence 25-40 mm diam . w ith 30-50 com pactly arranged flowers. Peduncle clavate, 60-130 (230) m m long. Scape 30-70 m m long. Coma with 13-20 bracts; bracts lanceolate, 24-80 mm long, 20-35 m m diam . Pedicel 2-5 mm long. Perianth segm ents
6-8
m m long, 4 mm diam . Gynoecium w ith yellow ovary an d white style ju st after anthesis. Capsule with tra n sp a re n t m em branous pericarp w hich is often slightly inflated. Figs 9 &11
.Subsp. am aryllidifolia usually grows in groups between rocks on m o u n ta in slopes o f the w estern Orange Free State an d eastern C ape Province.
Fi g. 11.—The known distribution of Eucomis autumnalis subsp. amaryllidifolia.
O.F.S.—2727 (Kroonstad): Valsrivier (-AC), Pont 415 (PRE). 2827 (Senekal): “ Bell's Pass” (-AC ) Reyneke 318 (PRU). 2925 (Jagersfontein): Fauresmith, koppie in southern part of Botanical Reserve (-CB), Verdoorn s.n., 2209 (PRE), Reyneke 107 (PRU). 2927 (Maseru): Kommissiepoort (-A D ), Tylden s.n. (NBG).
Ca p e.—2823 (Griekwastad): Griekwastad (-CC), Karree-fontein, Wilman 2147 (GRA). 3026 (Aliwal North): Aliwal North (-D A ), Elandshoek, Bolus 270 (BOL). 3125 (Steyns-burg): Grootfontein College of Agriculture (-AC), Theron 1057 (PRE), Hofmeyer (-D B ), False Karoo, Acocks 16336 (PRE). 3323 (Willowmore): Uniondale Poort (-CA), Acocks 20325 (PRE). 3326 (Grahamstown): Grahamstown (-BC), Cherry 941 (GRA), Dyer 420 (GRA & PRE).
(c) subsp. clavata {B ak.) R eyneke, stat. nov. E. clavata Bak. in Saunders's Ref. Bot. 4: t.238 (1871); Lucas & Pike, Wild Flow. Witwatersrand (1971). Type: Orange Free State, Cooper 1196 (K, holo.!; N U, iso.!).
E. regia sensu auct. sequent: Bak. in J. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) 13:225 (1873); Bak. in FI. Cap. 6 :4 7 7 ^ 7 8 (1897); Turrill in Gard. Chron. 8 :7 5 (1921); Grey, Hardy Bulbs 3:2 3 6 (1938); Chitt. in Royal Hort. Soc. Diet. Gard. 2: 787 (1951); Pam in J. Royal Hort. Soc. 69: 164 (1951); non L'Héritier.
E. macrophylla hort., Bak. in J. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) 13:225 (1873).
E. robusta Bak. in FI. Cap. 6: 477 (1897); Grey, Hardy Bulbs 3 :2 3 6 (1938); Chitt. in Royal Hort. Soc. Diet. Gard. 2:787 (1951). Type: Natal near Koenigsberg, cultivated specimen introduced by Dammann & Co. of Naples, 1894 (BOL, holo.!).
E. albomarginata Barnes in S.A. Gdng Country Life 20: 115 (1930); Grey, Hardy Bulbs 3:231 (1938). Type: Orange Free State, Clarens, De Leeuw s.n. sub NBG 1876/26 (BOL; holo.!; NBG, iso.!).
E. undulata sensu Letty, Wild Flow. Transv. 28 (1962); Trauseld, Wild Flow. Natal Drakensberg 25 (1969).
S O U T H A F R IC A
142 NOTES ON AFR IC AN PLANTS
Fi g. 1 2 .—The known distribution o f Eucomis autumnalis
subsp. clavata.
Bulb dom e-shaped. Leaves lanceolate to ovate, som etim es linear, 150-450 (600) m m long, 60-130 mm b ro ad , m argin u n d u late; cuticle on leaf-m argin dentate. Inflorescence 50-70 mm diam ., 50-125 flowers w hich are exceptionally com pactly arranged. Peduncle m ostly clavate, 70-120 (230) mm long. Scape 70-130 mm long. Coma 130-180 m m diam ., pendulous over inflorescence, 15-30 sterile b racts; com a bracts ovate, 50-80 mm long, 30-50 mm diam . Pedicel 3-8 (10) mm long. Perianth segm ents 12-17 mm long, 5-6 mm diam . Capsule with hard opaque p ericarp in which tw o layers can be distinguished. Figs 9 & 12.
Subsp. clavata usually grows in groups in open grassland and marshes. R ecorded from Botsw ana, T ransvaal, O range Free State, Sw aziland an d N atal.
Bo t s w a n a.—2525 (Mafeking): Lobatsi (-BA), Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk 1886 (PRE).
Tr a n s v a a l.—2429 (Zebediela): Zebediela (-A D ), summit of mountain, Reyneke 101 (PRU). 2430 (Pilgrim’s Rest): Marieps-kop (-BD ), Reyneke 100 (PRU), Bedford foot-path, Van der Schijff 4689, 6254 (PRE & PRU). 2526 (Zeerust): Zeerust (-CA), Jenkins 11691 (PRE). 2528 (Pretoria): Pretoria (-CA), Pretoria University Experimental farm, Codd 3692 (PRE); 14 miles south east of Pretoria (-C D ), Codd 6214a (PRE). 2530 (Lydenburg): Belfast Forest Reserve (-CA ), Reyneke 92 (PRU). 2531 (Komatipoort): Louw’s Creek (-CC), Brayshaw 170 (NU). 2626 (Klerksdorp): Lichtenburg (-A A ), Hesse 1599 (PRE). 2628 (Johannesburg): Johannesburg (-A A ), Holden 28053 (PRE). 2630 (Carolina): The Gem (-BC), Walker 1212 (PRE). 2730 (Vryheid): near Piet Retief (-BB), Compton 22335 (NBG).
O.F.S.—2827 (Senekal): Rosendal (-B D ), Rhebokkop, Goossens 1883 (PRE). 2828 (Bethlehem): 6 miles south east of Bethlehem (-AB), Scheepers 1883 (PRE).
Sw a z i l a n d.—2631 (Mbabane): Utukula rocks (-AC), Compton 24782, 24865 (NBG). 2632 (Bela Vista): Lebombo mountains (-CC), Strey 4661 (NH & PRE).
Na t a l.—2729 (Volksrust): Charlestown (-B D ), Smith 5755 (PRE). 2730 (Vryheid): Mooihoek (-AC ), Devenish 403 (PRE); near Grootspruit (-BC), Strey 8058 (NH & PRE). 2828 (Bethlehem): Royal Natal National Park, Mont-aux-Sources (-DB), Pardoe s.n. (PRE). 2829 (Harrismith): Van Reenen (-A D ), Bews 616 (N U ), Van Reenen’s Pass, Schweickerdt 952 (PRE); Cathedral Peak Forest Station (-CC), Killick 1250, 1264, 1294 (PRE), Reyneke 50 (PRU). 2930 (Pietermaritzburg): Rietvlei (-AB), Greenwich Farm, Fry 5730 (PRE). 3030 (Port Shepstone): between Ixopo and Umzinto (-AB), Werdermann & Oberdieck 1209 (PRE).
Le s o t h o.—2828 (Bethlehem): Butha Buthe (-CC), Jacot Guillarmod 2140 (RUH), Leribe (-CC), Phillips 1227, 549 (NBG). 2927 (Maseru): Mafeteng (-CC), Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk 2411 (PRE).
The au th o r wishes to express his sincere gratitude to M rs A. A. M auve o f the N atio n al H erbarium , P retoria for generous help a n d advice. T his w ork was supported in part by the R esearch a n d Publications Com m ittee o f the U niversity o f P reto ria as well as the C .S.I.R .
REFERENCE
Re y n e k e, W. F., 1972. ’/i Monografiese studie van die genus Eucomis L' Hérit. in Suid-Afrika. Unpublished M.Sc. thesis, University o f Pretoria.
W. F. R e y n e k e *
: Department of Botany, University o f Pretoria, 0002
M Y R T A C E A E
THE IDENTITY OF EUGENIA WOODII Ever since Eugenia woodii D iim m er (1912) was
described, some doubt has existed as to w hether it is a distinct species. In his original diagnosis D iim m er distinguished E. woodii from E. zuluensis D iim m er by its b ro ad ly elliptic or obovate leaves w ith the m idrib im pressed above (prom inently raised in E. zuluensis) and the hypanthium covered w ith white appressed hairs. He also noted th a t the ultim ate branchlets were slightly sericeous tow ards their apices, while the axillary and apical buds were appressedly pubescent.
Engler an d Von Brehm er (1917) included E. woodii in their enum eration o f A frican M yrtaceae, b u t did not m ention some o f the outstan d in g features o f this species. In fact, they described the branches and the hypanthium as being glabrous, a ch aracter n o t found on any o f three specimens o f the syntype, W ood 132, investigated by the present a u th o r (Fig. 13).
E xam ination o f the m aterial o f Eugenia in the N a tio n a l H erbarium , P retoria and the N a tal H e rb ariu m , D urban, revealed th a t alm ost all the specim ens o f E. woodii were m isidentifled. M ost m aterial was placed under E. natalitia Sond., but
some specimens from the T ransvaal were not identified to species. Three specimens in the N ational H erbarium , however, were correctly identified as E. woodii by D r G. J. H. A m shoff o f W ageningen in 1960 o r 1961 an d have app aren tly escaped the atten tio n o f subsequent w orkers. D r A m shoff was obviously aw are o f the correct identity o f E. woodii, as she had previously referred to the characteristically 2-3-flowered “ pedicels” o f this species in one of her papers (A m shoff, 1958).
VARIOUS AUTHO RS 143
10
m mFi g. 13.—Eugenia woodii. Part o f the syntype, Wood 132 (BM), showing the densely pubescent hypanthia (A) and charac teristically 3-flowered cymules (B).
status o f subspecies, viz. E. capensis (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Sond. subsp. natalitia (Sond.) F. W hite.
The present study has show n th a t E. woodii is a very distinct species, w hich is n ot closely related to E. natalitia. T he com parative an ato m y (Van W yk, 1978) and external m orphology revealed additional distinguishing characters which had h ith erto been overlooked. Some o f these are now included in Table
1
, which will enable one to distinguish m ost specimens o f E. natalitia and E. woodii.It m ust be em phasized th a t m orphological characters in the genus Eugenia are extrem ely variable. T axonom ic conclusions m ust therefore be based on as m any different ch aracters as possible. T he m ost reliable characters th a t can be used to distinguish between the tw o species are the n atu re o f the disc in bisexual flowers, the degree o f pubescence o f the hypanthium , the n atu re o f the seeds and the position o f the first-form ed periderm in the stem. By using the phloroglucinol/hydrochloric acid test on freehand sections o f fresh o r rehydrated m aterial, the nature o f the periderm can be ascertained quickly and easily.
A lthough E. woodii shows som e sim ilarity to E. zuluensis D iim m er, E. albaner.sis Sond., E. zeyheri Harv. and E. pusilla N .E . Br., it seems to be m ore closely related to the recently described E. erythro phylla Strey from sou th ern N atal and T ranskei, with which it is som etim es confused. H owever, E. erythro-phylla differs from E. woodii in its m ore coriaceous and often larger leaves an d the m uch larger flowers, which are usually sh o rter pedicellate and not aggregated in 3-flowered cymules. The young leaves of E. erythrophylla are often densely whitish pilose on both sides with the u p p er surface o f the lam ina
usually becom ing g labrous before the low er; the reverse is found in E. woodii. The pubescence on the h y p an th iu m o f E. erythrophylla also tends to be denser and m ore spreading th an th a t o f E. woodii.
T he follow ing am plified description o f E. woodii is based on the m ore a b u n d a n t m aterial now at h an d .
Eugenia woodii Diimmer in G d n rs’ C hron. ser.3, 52: 192 (1912); Engl. & Von Brehm er in Bot. Jb. 54: 333 (1917); Von Breitenbach in Indig. Trees S. A fr. 4: 845 (1965). Syntypes: N atal, w ith o u t precise locality, Gerrard 1643 (K !); between bushes n ear D u rb a n , W ood 132 (K !; B M !; PR E !).
Eugenia natalitia sensu Palmer & Pitman in Trees S. Afr. 3: 1669 (1973), pro parte quoad E. woodii; sensu Compton in FI. Swaziland: 396, pro parte quoad Compton 25175.
Eugenia capensis (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Sond. subsp. natalitia (Sond.) F. White in Kirkia 10: 402 (1977), pro parte quoad E. woodii; sensu Coates Palgrave in Trees S. Afr.: 689, pro parte.
144 NOTES ON A FR IC AN PLANTS
TABLE 1.—Organographic and anatomical differences between Eugenia woodii and E. natalitia. Characters regarded as most significant are marked with an asterisk
Character E. woodii E. natalitia
Bark Rough and corky, usually flaking in irre
gular pieces
Usually smooth or slightly rough, sometimes lightly flaking
Pubescence of apical and axillary buds Densely pubescent Very sparingly pubescent or glabrous Pubescence of the lamina in young
leaves
Densely pubescent above, sparingly pubes cent and soon becoming glabrous beneath
More or less glabrous on both surfaces
Nature of the abaxial lamina surface in mature leaves
Dull whitish-green; secretory cavities usually
obscure Dull green; usually conspicuously glandularpunctate Inflorescences Flowers usually solitary or in 3-flowered
cymules, rarely in racemes
Flowers usually in short racemes (often fasciculate) or solitary, very rarely in cymules
Shape, length and surface of the brac teoles
Lanceolate, acute, c. as long as the hypan thium, densely pubescent
Deltoid, concave, c. the length of the hypanthium, sparingly pubescent or glabrous
♦Surface of the hypanthium Densely covered with whitish appressed hairs
Glabrous
Nature o f the sepals Usually more or less acute, slightly concave; margins usually ciliolate
Rounded, prominently concave; margins usually smooth or with a few scattered hairs
Nature of the petals White or pinkish, eglandular or with a few obscure secretory cavities; margins cilio late
White, conspicuously dotted with large secretory cavities; margins smooth or with a few scattered hairs
♦Nature of the disc in bisexual flowers Convex, densely pubescent between the stamens
Plane, sparingly pubescent between stamens
Number of stamens in bisexual flowers Usually 10-20 Usually 30-50
Fruits Red; flesh cream-coloured Usually purple, sometimes red; flesh
thinner and white
♦Seeds More or less globose; testa thick and woody
(c. 1 mm); embryo apparently eglandular
More or less reniform to subreniform; testa thin (c. 0,25 mm) and membranous; embryo conspicuously glandular punctate ♦Position o f the first-formed periderm
in the stem
Subepidermally in the cortex Deeply seated in the primary external phloem to the inside of the extraxylary ring o f fibres
obconical, c.
1-2
m m long, densely appressed pubescent. Ovary ab o rte d ; style rudim entary, som etim es split into two, c. 0 ,5 -1 m m long o r ab sen t; stigm a absent. Bisexual flow ers w ith the pedicels, bracteoles, sepals and petals as in stam inate flowers. Disc convex with an even surface, fleshy, usually densely pubescent. Stam ens usually 10-20, resem bling those o f the stam inate flowers. Hypanthium obconical, c.2
m m long, covered with w hitish appressed hairs. Ovary fused to the lower p a rt o f the hypan th iu m ,2
- lo cu lar; ovules usually2
per locule,1
o r2
developing; style filiform, terete, glabrous o r w ith a few scattered hairs, c. 4 -6 m m long; stigm a sm all, som ew hat capitate, covered with sm all papillae. Fruit a fleshy berry, at first yellow, becom ing brig h t red w hen ripe, obovoid to subglobose, c 15-25 m m diam ., glabrescent with persistent calyx lobes a t the apex; flesh o f pericarp reported to be cream -coloured. Seed globose with a sm ooth surface; testa woody and to ugh with a fibrous texture, c.
1
m m thick, b ro w n ish ; em bryo with cotyledons partly fused, ap p aren tly eglandular b u t som etim es with a few obscure glands m ainly associated w ith the radicular p ro tu b eran ce. Fig. 14.E. woodii occurs as a tree in forest and associated w oodland in N atal, T ransvaal and Swaziland probably extending into M ozam bique. It is locally com m on in
some localities, especially the forests o f the n o rth and north-eastern T ransvaal w here it often occurs in association w ith E. natalitia Sond. Flow ering takes place m ainly from Septem ber to N ovem ber.
F o r the present I am referring to E. woodii all the specimens (m ainly from PR E and P R U ) cited below. U nfortunately m ost collections are w ithout bisexual flowers or fruits, therefore these identifications m ust be considered as tentative. T here are indications th a t a th o ro u g h study o f the fresh fru its o f E. woodii may eventually prove th a t the species can be separated into several infraspecific taxa.
VARIOUS A UTHO RS 145
Fi g. 1 4 .—Eugenia woodii c o m
p a r e d w i t h E. natalitia. E. woodii:
1
, l e a f y tw i g w i t h m a l e f lo w e r s , x 0 , 5 ; 2 , l o n g i t u d i n a l s e c t i o n o f m a l e f lo w e r , x 6 ; 3, b i s e x u a l f l o w e r w i t h f r o n t p e t a l s a n d s t a m e n s r e m o v e d , x 6 ; 4 , d i s c w i t h c a l y x ( o t h e r f l o r a l p a r t s r e m o v e d ) , x 6 . E. natalitia: 5 , b i s e x u a l f l o w e r w i t h f r o n t p e t a l s a n d s t a m e n s r e m o v e d , x 6 ; 6 , d is c w i t h c a l y x ( o t h e r f l o r a l p a r t s r e m o v e d ) , x 6 . (1 f r o m Renny 2 4 5 ; 2 f r o m Van Wyk 2 1 4 6 ; 3 a n d 4 f r o m Van Wyk 2 4 1 6 ; 5 a n d 6 f r o m Van Wyk 1 1 1 9 ).Sw a z i l a n d.—2631 (Mbabane): Mbuluzi Falls (-AC ), Compton 25175 (PRE); 4 km NE of Mbabane (-A C ), Kemp 1048 (PRE); c. 1,5 km NW o f Mbabane (-AC), Miller S/138 (PRE); Sibanyone Hill (-C A ), Miller S/264 (PRE).
Na t a l.—2632 (Bela Vista): Amanzimnyana, 10 km E of Maputa (-D D ), De Winter & Vahrmeijer 8605 (PRE), near Kosi Bay Nature Reserve (-D D ), Edwards 2553 (PRE), Kosi River (-D D ), M oll & Strey 3833 (PRE); N bank o f Nswa-manzi River, near Mhlange Lake (-D D ), Tinley 328 (PRE). 2731 (Louwsburg): Sokosoko Forest (-D C ), Gerstner 4909 (PRE). 2732 (Ubombo): Gwalaweni Forest (-A A ), Botha & Van Wyk 949; 1122 (PRU); Vahrmeijer & Hardy 1672 (PRE); Sibayi Dune Forest (-BC ) Sibayi Project 327 (PR E)- Venter 5812 (PRU); Ngoboseleni Lake (-D A ), Ross & M oll 5074 (NH: PRE). 2831 (Nkandla): emGangado (-BB), Gerstner 5031 (PRE); Eshowe (-C D ), Thode A1237 (N H; PRE). 2832 (Mtubatuba): Mapelan Forest (-A D ), Venter 5573 (PRU); Banghazi Lake (-BA ), Venter 5700 (PRU); Enseleni Nature Reserve near Richards Bay (-CC ), Venter 5913; 5914; 6099 (PRU). 2930 (Pietermaritzburg): near Durban (-D D ?), Wood 132 (K; BM; PRE); Westville, Palmiet Nature Reserve (-D D ),
Ward 8207 (PRE). 2931 (Stanger): King Hamlyn’s Farm, Darnall (-A D ), M oll 3611; 5503 (N H ; PRE). 3030 (Port Shspstone): Isipingo Beach (-BB), Ward 1000 (PRE).
Lo c a l i t y u n k n o w n.—Cultivated plants on the campus of the University of Pretoria, Van Wyk 2416; 2419 (PRU).
O ver the whole o f its d istrib u tio n range E. woodii shows considerable variatio n in leaf shape an d leaves from m ore north erly p lan ts are often larger th an those from the south. Specim ens from open w oodland also possess sm aller and m ore coriaceous leaves and tend to be m ore shru b b y th a n th eir forest co u n terp arts.
T he fruits o f E. woodii are edible and reporetd to have a p leasant taste. They are preferred to those o f E. natalitia, w hich are less fleshy and have a mealy after-taste.
C o m m o n n am es: iJobe (Sw); um B om vane (Z ); ’staw ataw ane (V). H ow ever, som e o f these nam es are also recorded for E. zuluensis and E. natalitia.
REFERENCES
A
m sho ff,
G. J. H., 1958. Notes on Myrtaceae. VII Myrtaceae of French Equatorial Africa. Acta bot. neerl. 7: 53-58. Du m m e r, R. D . , 1912. Eugenias o f South Africa. Gdnrs' Chron.Ser. 3, 52.
En g l e r, A. & Vo n Br e h m e r, W ., 1917. Myrtaceae africanae. Bot. Jb. 54: 229-341.
Pa l m e r, E . & Pi t m a n, N ., 1973. Trees o f Southern Africa III. Cape Town: A. A. Balkema.
Va n Wy k, A. E., 1978. 'n Taksonomies-anatomiese ondersoek van verteenwoordigers van die genus Eugenia L. (M yr taceae) in Suid-Afrika. Unpublished M.Sc. thesis, Pot-chefstroom University for C.H.E.
Wh i t e, F., 1977. Some new taxa in African Myrtaceae. Kirkia 10,2 : 401-404.
A. E. v a n W yk*
