Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2018-11-07
Page range: 241–248
Abstract views: 46
PDF downloaded: 70

A new species of Ochna (Ochnaceae) from the Barberton Mountains of Mpumalanga, South Africa

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, United Kingdom
Buffelskloof Herbarium, P.O. Box 710, Lydenburg 1120, South Africa
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB, United Kingdom
anthers buzz-pollination conservation sepals serpentine suffrutex taxonomy Eudicots

Abstract

Ochna barbertonensis is described as a new species from the Barberton Mountains in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The new species is characterised by its suffrutescent habit, elongate-deltoid stipules sometimes with broadened base, mucronate leaf tip and high anther to filament ratio, where the anthers are ca. two times longer than the filaments. It is placed within sect. Ochna due to its poricidal anthers and subglobose drupes, attached at the base. It is most likely to be confused with the superficially similar suffrutescent species Ochna confusa, but that species has longitudinal anther dehiscence and anthers shorter than the filaments. The new species occurs within well protected nature reserves, but is only known from five collections with an Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of 34 km2, making it a ‘Rare’ species under the Red List of South African Plants. A species description, illustration and distribution map are provided.