Compilation
Cliffortia nitidula

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Name

Identification
Isotype of Cliffortia aequatorialis R.E.Fr. & T.C.E.Fr. [family ROSACEAE ] Verified by Not on sheet, Cliffortia nitidula R.E.Fr. & T.C.E.Fr. [family ROSACEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by Not on sheet,
Related name
  • Cliffortia linearifolia
  • Cliffortia serpyllifolia
  • Cliffortia tychonis
  • Cliffortia aequatorialis
  • Cliffortia nitidula

Flora

Entry for CLIFFORTIA nitidula R. E. & T. C. E. Fries [family ROSACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (1960) Author: R. A. GRAHAM
Names
CLIFFORTIA nitidula R. E. & T. C. E. Fries [family ROSACEAE], in N.B.G.B. 8: 649 (1923); H. Weim., Monogr. Cliff.: 47 (1934); Brenan in Mem. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 8: 432 (1954). Types: Tanganyika, Uluguru Mts., Lukwangule, Stuhlmann 9160 & Goetze 257 (B, syn. †)
CLIFFORTIA linearifolia [family ROSACEAE], [sensu F.T.A. 2: 379 (1871), non Eckl. & Zeyh.]
CLIFFORTIA linearifolia Engl var. nitidula [family ROSACEAE], . in E.J. 26: 376 (1899). Types: Angola, Huila, Humpata, De Melho Ramalho (B†, COI, syn.) & Tanganyika, Uluguru Mts., Lukwangule, Stuhlmann 9160 (B, syn.†)
CLIFFORTIA aequatorialis R. E. & T. C. E. Fries [family ROSACEAE], in N.B.G.B. 8: 649 (1923); H.Weim., Monogr. Cliff.: 50 (1934). Type: Kenya, Aberdare Mts., Fries 2438 (U, holo., K!, S, iso.)
CLIFFORTIA nitidula H. Weim. subsp. angolensis [family ROSACEAE], Monogr. Cliff.: 49 (1934). Types: Angola, Huila, Welwitsch 1277 (C, COI, K!, syn.) & Huila, Humpata, De Melho Ramalho (B†, COI, syn.) & Bié, R. Longa, Baum 650 (B†, COI, G, HBG, K!, S, W, Z, syn.) & Bié, R. Cuito, Gossweiler 2566 (COI, K!, syn.)
CLIFFORTIA nitidula (R. E. & T. C. E. Fries) Brenan var. aequatorialis [family ROSACEAE], in Mem. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 8: 433 (1954)
CLIFFORTIA nitidula (H. Weim.) Brenan var. angolensis [family ROSACEAE], in Mem. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 8: 433 (1954)
Information
A much-branched shrub, 4–5 m. high, apparently monoecious. Branches reddish-brown, densely grey-villous when young, the outer bark tending to peel away. Leaflets 4–7 mm. long, narrowly linear-oblanceolate to narrowly linear due to the degree of revolution of the margins which usually hide the midrib, subacute, leathery, glabrous, shining above, deep green, sometimes red-tipped; petioles 1–2.5 mm. long, brown. Stipules triangular, acute, pilose on the inside. Flowers bracteate, sessile, borne in the leaf-fascicles. Male flowers with broadly oblong sepals (3–)3.8–4(–4.5) mm. long, apically narrowed and mucronate. Stamens 4; filaments reddish-purple or violet; anthers reniform, violet. Female flowers greenish-white. Receptacle oblong, becoming elongated, with 2 narrow, longitudinal wings. Sepals oblanceolate, ± 1.75 mm. long, ± apiculate. Stigma purplish; style very short; achene solitary, 3 mm. long, asymmetrically cylindrical. Fig. 4, p. 41.
Range
DISTR. K3, 4; T6, 7
Distribution
KENYA Elgeyo District Marakwet Hills, June 1935, Dale 3432!KENYA Aberdare Mts., July 1948, Hedberg 1503!KENYA Mt. Kenya, R. Kongoni, 13 Feb. 1922, Fries 1575TANGANYIKA Morogoro District Nguru Mts., Mt. Mesumba, 20 July 1933, Schlieben 4190!;TANGANYIKA Rungwe District NW. of Rungwe Mt., by the Lower Kiwira River, Oct. 1947, Brenan & Greenway 8194!;TANGANYIKA Njombe District Elton Plateau, R. Lumakanya Oct. 1954, Willan 184!
Distribution (external)
; Northern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia
Nyasaland
Angola
Notes
I follow Brenan in regarding C. aequatorialis and C. nitidula subsp. angolensis as variants of C. nitidula which have been separated only on leaf-characters which are not constant in respect of any of these three taxa, there being intervariation from one to the other. For this reason it is proposed to relegate the first two to synonymy with the last-named. It is at least probable that C. nitidula should be considered as a subspecies of the South African and Southern Rhodesian C. linearifolia Eckl. & Zeyh. But the leaves of the latter have a markedly thicker midrib which is not usually obscured by the revolution of the margins. In using the epithet nitidula, the authors evidently intended their species to be based on Engler’s variety of C. linearifolia. However, as they used partly different types, the latter’s name has been omitted from the authority citation.

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