Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (1997) Author: NORDAL (University of Oslo), SHAKKIE KATIVU (University of Zimbabwe) & AXEL D. POULSEN (University of Copenhagen)
Names
CHLOROPHYTUM holstii Engl. [family ANTHERICACEAE], P.O.A. C: 140 (1895); Baker in F.T.A. 7: 497 (1898). Type: Tanzania, Tanga District, Usambara Mts., Amboni, Holst 2674 (B, holo.!, K, iso.!)
CHLOROPHYTUM hoffmannii Engl. [family ANTHERICACEAE], in E.J. 34: 158 (1904). Type: Tanzania, Handeni District, Useguha, cult. Berlin, Hoffmann & Stolz (B, holo.!)
CHLOROPHYTUM holstii Poelln. var. glabrum [family ANTHERICACEAE], in Portug. Acta Biol., sér. B, 1: 298 (1946). Type: Tanzania, E. Usambara Mts., Amani, Peter 16230 (B, holo.!, B, iso.!)
CHLOROPHYTUM pulverulentum Poelln. [family ANTHERICACEAE], in Portug. Acta Biol., sér. B, 1: 329 (1946). Type: Tanzania, Handeni District, Useguha, between Sindeni and Handeni, Peter 40578 (B, holo.!)
CHLOROPHYTUM uvinsense Poelln. [family ANTHERICACEAE], in Portug. Acta Biol., sér. B, 1: 348 (1946). Type: Tanzania, Kigoma District, E. of Uvinza, Peter 36263 (B, holo.!)
Distribution
KENYA Kwale District Mwachi Forest Reserve, 17 May 1990, Robertson & Luke 6240!TANZANIA Tanga District 8 km. S. of Ngomeni, 29 July 1953, Drummond & Hemsley 3504! & Kange Gorge, 19 Apr. 1950, Faulkner 1850!TANZANIA Mpwapwa, 22 Feb. 1934, Hornby 630!
Notes
C. holstii has often been identified as the Guineo-Congolean rain-forest species, C. alismifolium Baker, to which it is obviously related (cf. C. sp. B ). They differ, however, by several traits: C. alismifolium has thicker, tomentose roots, with tubers as thickenings along the main axes, not on lateral branches; the leaves display less dense venation in that species; it has a shorter more erect peduncle, only up to 5 cm. long; the tepals are widest in the upper part, and not ± parallel-sided as in C. holstii; and in particular, the capsules are distinctly stipitate in C. alismifolium, but truncate, without any sign of a stipe, in C. holstii. The two taxa might represent vicariant subspecies of C. alismifolium; more material and more thorough analyses are needed.