Compilation
Trapa austroafricana

4 Images see all

Previous
Next

Name

Identification
Isotype of Trapa austroafricana V.N.Vassil [family TRAPACEAE ] Verified by Not on sheet, Trapa bispinosa Roxb. [family TRAPACEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by Not on sheet,
Related name
  • Trapa austroafricana
  • Trapa natans
  • Trapa bispinosa

Flora

Entry for Trapa natans var. bispinosa Roxb. Makino [family TRAPACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora Zambesiaca
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
FZ, Vol 4, Part 0, page 346, (1978) Author: J. P. M. Brenan
Names
Trapa natans var. bispinosa Roxb. Makino [family TRAPACEAE], in Iinuma, Somoku-Dzusetzu (Iconography … Plants … Japan), ed. 3, 1: 137 (1907).—Dubois in Zooléo 26: 399–400 (1954).—Brenan in F.T.E.A. Trapaceae: 3 (1953).—R. & A. Fernandes in C.F.A. 4: 203 (1970). Type from India.
Trapa bispinosa Roxb. [family TRAPACEAE], Fl. Ind. 1: 449 (1820).—Bremek. & Oberm. in Ann. Transv. Mus. 16: 427 (1935).
Trapa austroafricana V. Vassiljev [family TRAPACEAE], in Nov. Syst. Pl. Vasc. 1965: 192 (1965). Type: Zambia, Western Province, Chingola, Fanshawe 2535 (K, holotype; SRGH).
Trapa austro-africana var. vassii [family TRAPACEAE], Auct.” Binns, H.C.L.M.: 100 (1968). This is almost surely a fictitious variety based on a misreading of the author's abbreviation “V. Vassii.”, probably from Jackson 2115 from Malawi (K).
Trapa natans [family TRAPACEAE], sensu Binns, H.C.L.M.: 99 (1968).
Information
Pyrene (i.e. endocarp) about 3–5 cm. across in all, 2-horned, horns arising from the upper angles, erecto-patent to arcuate-ascending or almost horizontal, straight or somewhat curved, conical, or attenuate above, about 1–1·8 cm. long and about 4–7 mm. wide near base, sharp at point and reflexedly barbed for a little way below it.
Distribution
Mozambique M Incanine, 14.i.1898, Schlechter 12030 (BM; K).Malawi S Port Herald District, Chiromo, fr. 22.iii.1960, Phipps 2602 (COI; K; LMA; PRE; SRGH).Zambia S Katombora, st. 5–11.xi.1949, West 3048 (SRGH).Zambia E Lundazi, st. 17.x.1967, Mutimushi 2285 (LISC;SRGH).Zambia W Chingola, 18.x.1955, Fanshawe 2535 (K; SRGH).Zambia N Bwali, lagoon of L. Bangweulu, st. 11.xi.1969, Verboom 2641 (K).Mozambique MS R. Lucite, Mufo, between Matarara do Lucite and Dombe, 14.x.1953, Pedro 4310 (K; LMA; PRE).Malawi N Livingstonia, Laws 5 (K).Zimbabwe W S. bank of R. Zambesi, Livingstone District, 17.i.1929, Young in Moss 482 (BM).Zambia B Luanginga R. about 6 km. NW. of Sandaula Pontoon, st. 17.xi.1959, Drummond & Cookson 6585 (K; LISU; PRE; SRGH).Botswana N Okavango Swamp, Txatxanika Lagoon, st. 1.iii.1972, Gibbs Russell & Biegel 1491 (K; PRE; SRGH).
Notes
Gams, in Veröff. Geobot. Inst. Rübel, Zürich 33: 108–115 (1958), has discussed the two divergent schools of thought about the taxonomy of Trapa: one taking T. natans L. in a very wide sense indeed; the other, mainly Russian, multiplying segregate species to at least 25, a trend which Gams deplores as unnecessary and misleading. T. austroafricana V. Vassiljev was based on a type from the Flora area, but other names have been used: Vassiljev has identified Chase 5088 (COI; LISC) as T. insperata V. Vassiljev; Drummond & Cookson 6585 (LISC) as T. acicularis V. Vassiljev; Phipps 2602 (COI; LISC) & Kirk (K) from Mozambique, Luabu R. as T. congolensis V. Vassiljev.These species were poorly defined. Fruits of T. insperata and T. austroafricana were unknown. T. acicularis is what I defined (in F.T.E.A. Trapac.: 1 (1953)) as T. natans var. africana Brenan and is very unlikely to occur in Zambia. An excellent gathering from Botswana, N: Thamalakane R., Biegel & Russell 3714 (SRGH) appears to show a complete transition between the leaves of T. congolensis and T. austroafricana (and the latter was separated on its leaves).To sum up, the views of Gams seem wholly justified. There may possibly be more than one taxon included in T. natans in southern Africa, but the evidence is quite inadequate and at present unconvincing. The alleged leaf-differences appear to be more probably phenotypic, due to differences in the aquatic environment well-known to affect the vegetative parts of aquatic plants.

Related Materials