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Issue: Vol. 758 No. 1: 20 May 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-05-20
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.758.1.6
Page range: 71-82
Abstract views: 0
PDF downloaded: 0

A new shrubby species of Euphorbia sect. Scatorhizae (E. subg. Chamaesyce; Euphorbiaceae) from southeastern Ethiopia

State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Speciality Crops; Wuhan Botanical Garden; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430074; Hubei; China; Biotechnology Department; Wolkite University; Wolkite P.O. Box 07; Ethiopia; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049; China
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Speciality Crops; Wuhan Botanical Garden; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430074; Hubei; China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049; China; Department of Plant Biology and Ecology; Faculty of Sciences; University of Antananarivo; Antananarivo 101; Madagascar
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Speciality Crops; Wuhan Botanical Garden; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430074; Hubei; China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049; China; School of Ecology and Environment; Tibet University; Lhasa 850032; Xizang; China
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Speciality Crops; Wuhan Botanical Garden; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430074; Hubei; China; Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute; Addis Ababa P.O. Box 30726; Ethiopia
National Herbarium; College of Natural Sciences; Addis Ababa University; Addis Ababa P.O. Box 3434; Ethiopia
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Speciality Crops; Wuhan Botanical Garden; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430074; Hubei; China; Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430074; Hubei; China
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Speciality Crops; Wuhan Botanical Garden; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430074; Hubei; China; Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430074; Hubei; China
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Speciality Crops; Wuhan Botanical Garden; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430074; Hubei; China; School of Ecology and Environment; Tibet University; Lhasa 850032; Xizang; China; Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan 430074; Hubei; China
Eudicots Euphorbia leleensis phylogeny taxonomy tropical Africa

Abstract

Euphorbia leleensis, a new species from Lele Hill, Bale Zone, southeastern Ethiopia, is described and illustrated based on morphological and molecular evidence. Morphologically, the new species resembles E. suborbicularis, E. polyantha, and E. agowensis, but differs in having broadly ovate to suborbicular leaf blades, with a rounded to shallowly cordate base, caducous stipules, broadly ovate to triangular-cordate bracts, yellowish-green glands with a 3–4-lobed margin, subglobose to broadly oblong and sparsely pubescent capsules, and oblong to ovoid seeds. Phylogenetic analyses based on the nuclear ITS region recover two accessions of E. leleensis as a strongly supported clade (BS = 100 %; PP = 1), sister to E. agowensis (BS = 95%; PP = 1). These results place the new species Euphorbia sect. Scatorhizae within Euphorbia subg. Chamaesyce, confirming its recognition as a distinct species. The species is preliminary assessed as Endangered (EN) according to the IUCN Red List criteria.

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How to Cite

Zinabu, D., Ratsiferanarivo, R.T., Qiu, X.-D., Eshetu, G., Wondafrash, M., Wang, S.-W., Wei, N. & Wang, Q.-F. (2026) A new shrubby species of Euphorbia sect. Scatorhizae (E. subg. Chamaesyce; Euphorbiaceae) from southeastern Ethiopia. Phytotaxa 758 (1): 71–82. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.758.1.6