Taxonomy and chorology of Corbichonia (Lophiocarpaceae s. l.) with further description of a new species from Southern Africa Author Sukhorukov, Alexander P. Author Kushunina, Maria text Phytotaxa 2015 2015-07-03 218 3 227 240 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.218.3.2 journal article 10.11646/phytotaxa.218.3.2 1179-3163 13635716 3. Corbichonia exellii Sukhor. sp. nov . Type:— ANGOLA . Mossamedes [ Namibe province ]: 74 km from Mossamedes, Montemor, dry scrub, ca. 500 m , 19 May 1937 , Exell & Mendonça 2186 ( holotype , BM-001122713!) ( Fig. 3 ). Description: —Plants up to 50 cm , very branched from the base; insignificantly lignified white perennial stems bearing angular, upright or ascending annual shoots ( Fig. 4A ) that are glabrous or sometimes can be covered with solitary simple and short-stalked glandular hairs; all leaves fleshy, glaucous, cuneate, apex shortly mucronate; lowermost leaves obovate, 3.0–7.0 × 1.5–3.0 cm, middle and upper leaves oblong or ovoid ( Fig. 4B ), with shortened vegetative shoots in their axils; inflorescences monochasial looking umbel-like ( Fig. 4C ); sepals approximately 4 mm , slightly accrescent (to 6 mm ) in fruit; 20–30 petal-like staminodia ( Fig. 4D ), mauve or pink; stamens 20 or more, anthers white; capsule orbicular, 6–7 mm in diameter, papery; seeds numerous, 1.0– 1.2 mm , reniform; testa cells without papilla-like elongations ( Fig. 5 G, H, I ). Habitat: —Scrubs, limestone, deserts and ruderal sites; 0–700 m a.s.l. (upper extent of the altitude is not precisely known). Phenology: —Flowering December–June; fruiting February–July. Conservation status :—The appropriate data on abundance and/or distribution of the taxon is lacking. It can be included in the Not Evaluated (NE) category of IUCN Red List categories ( IUCN 2014 ) as there is inadequate information to make a direct or indirect assessment of its risk of extinction based on its distribution and/or population status. Specimens examined :— ANGOLA . Namibe : Mossamedes inter 14 & 16 lat., 1859 & June 1860 , Welwitsch 2418 (BM, K) ; 108 km from Mossamedes railway, 28–30 April 1909 , Pearson 2800, 2863 (K) ; Mossamedes , Capangombe , June 1950 , Teixeira 316 (BM) ; Mossamedes , 10 January 1956 , Santos 134 (BM) ; Mossamedes , Caracul , 5 May 1962 , Azancot de Menezes 248 (K, P—photo!) ; Zaire : Lengue , 19 December 1932 , Gossweiler 689 (BM, K) . NAMIBIA . [ Omaheke Region / Otjozondjupa Region ] Hereroland, 1898, Dinter 66 (UZH-000075600—photo!) ; [ Karas region ] Great Karasberg [Karasburg], on loose step shale slopes in Waterfall ‘ Alt Ravine’ , common locally, bush with prostrate or ascending branches, fl. crimson, 21 January 1913 , Pearson 8582 (BM) ; [ Erongo region ] Brandberg , 2000 ft , 9 April 1950 , Macdonald 582 (BM) . SOUTH AFRICA . KwaZulu-Natal : Natal , 3000–4000 ft , April 1914 , Wood 5391 (BM) ; Traansvaal , March 1894 , Schlechter 4622 (BM) ; Northern Cape : Augrabies National Park , 28 o 29’6’’S , 20 o 4’29’’E , 559 m , 24 August 2005 , Mothogoane 649 (P-05290981—photo!). Locus ignotus : SW Africa , Blesokranz , March 1950 , McDonald 452 (BM) . Etymology: —The species is named after A.W. Exell (1901–1993), an expert in South African flora. Comments: —The new species was previously identified as C. decumbens , e.g. the above mentioned Angolan specimens (by Conçalves 1970 ). From both C. decumbens and C. rubriviolacea , the new species differs by narrower (oblong or ovoid) leaves and more compact (umbel-like) inflorescence. From morphologically similar C. decumbens , the new species is also distinguished by the seeds with the absence of cylindrical elongations of the testa cells, and both C. exellii and C . rubriviolacea share the similar seed ultrasculpture ( Fig. 5 ; see also the Table 1). The distribution area of C. exellii is restricted to Southern Africa ( Fig. 6 ), with the majority of locations from Angola and Namibia .