David G. A. Styles

In the course of field work in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa a species of Bulbine was encountered growing on shaded cliff ledges in Scarp Forest. This species shows a distinct syndrome of morphological characters not previously reported in the genus, both vegetatively and in respect of floral characters. This character suite, along with phytogeographical evidence, supports the recognition of B. pauciflora as a new species. We present a morphological description of this new taxon, as well as data on its ecology and distribution in the context of the ethnobotany and bioculture of the genus in the Eastern Cape. The species is compared to some Eastern Cape bulbines with which it grows sympatrically or near-sympatrically, and is comprehensively illustrated.

We describe a new species of Ceropegia sect. Bowkerianae from the south-eastern extent of the Barberton Centre of Plant Endemism in Eswatini. In section Bowkerianae, C. meveana is morphologically very similar to C. scabriflora, but its combination of vegetative and floral characteristics is unique. In contrast to the obconical, verrucose and scabrid corolla inflation of C. scabriflora, the inflation of C. meveana is oblong-ovoid and entirely smooth. The gynostegium of C. meveana has very short, bulge-like interstaminal corona lobes and is also entirely glabrous and hence clearly distinct from the gynostegium of C. scabriflora. The most striking feature of C. meveana are the slender, filiform corolla lobes that are densely covered with long white trichomes reminiscent of animal fur. Ceropegia meveana is the first species with kettle-trap flowers in sect. Bowkerianae known from Eswatini. The section now comprises a total of 16 species, six thereof with tubular kettle-trap flowers.

We describe a novel species of Ceropegia (Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae-Ceropegieae), C. strophanthiflora, from inland of Mtubatuba in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The new species is placed in section Chamaesiphon where it appears to be vegetatively and floristically most similar to C. rehmannii (formerly Brachystelma foetidum). Ceropegia strophanthiflora can, however, be readily distinguished from this species by its strikingly colourful greenish-yellow flowers with bright purple markings and purplish-pink vibratile hairs fringing the corolla lobe bases. Most remarkable, however, are the unusually long, slender and twisted corolla lobes much reminiscent of flowers known in Strophanthus; hence the name C. strophanthiflora. There are no other known South African species exhibiting such flamboyant flowers. Concerningly, this spectacular new species may be at the brink of extinction as only very little habitat remains which is under severe anthropogenic threat. Brachystelma tanzaniense, a species with long and slender corolla lobes from Tanzania, is transferred to Ceropegia section Chamaesiphon under the proposed new name C. dodomaensis. Moreover, the blocking name for this transfer, C. tanzaniensis, is reduced to a synonym of C. cordiloba for which we designate a lectotype.

A new species of Ceropegia (Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae-Ceropegieae), C. gilboaensis, is described from the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where it occurs along exposed rock sheets in Midlands Mistbelt Grassland. This new tuberous species, which lacks the tubular trap-flowers typical of Ceropegia s.str., is assigned to section Chamaesiphon. Ceropegia gilboaensis is vegetatively and floristically most similar to C. ngomensis (formerly Brachystelma ngomense); both species have prostrate stems and foul-smelling, cylindrical-campanulate, striated and dark-coloured flowers characteristic of a sapromyiophilous pollination strategy.

The taxonomic status of Crassula multicava Lem. subsp. floribunda Friedrich ex Toelken (C. sect. Anacampseroideae Haw.) is reassessed and raised to that of species, as C. floribunda (Friedrich ex Toelken) N.R.Crouch, Gideon F.Sm. & D.Styles. Distribution maps and descriptions for the allopatric subtropical species C. multicava and C. floribunda are provided, and vegetative and reproductive characters that distinguish them noted and illustrated. The name C. quadrifida Baker, a synonym of C. multicava, does not have a holotype and a previous lectotypification must stand. The name C. quadrifida is epitypified on a specimen previously thought to be its holotype.

A new Cotyledon species, C. nielsii N.R.Crouch, D.Styles & Mich.Walters, is described from cliffs of the western part of eThekwini Metro near the city of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. The species is closely allied to the recently described C. petiolaris van Jaarsv. from the Wild Coast region of the Eastern Cape province, but is readily separable on vegetative and reproductive characteristics.