Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (1996) Author: CHRISTOPHER WHITEHOUSE
Names
COMMICARPUS pentandrus (Burch.) Heimerl [family NYCTAGINACEAE], in E. & P. Pf., ed. 2, 16c: 117 (1934); Meikle in Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edin. 36: 241, fig. 2B (1978); Troupin, Fl. Rwanda 1: 206 (1978). Type: South Africa, along the Vaal R., Griqualand West, Burchell 1765 (K, holo.!)
Boerhavia pentandra Burch. [family NYCTAGINACEAE], Travels 1: 432 (1822); Baker & C.H. Wright in F.T.A. 6(1): 7 (1909), pro parte
Boerhavia burchellii Choisy [family NYCTAGINACEAE], in DC., Prodr. 13(2): 455 (1849), nom. superfl. Based on B. pentandra Burch.
Boerhavia grandiflora [family NYCTAGINACEAE], [sensu Oliv. in Trans. Linn. Soc. 29: 142 (1875), non A. Rich.]
Boerhavia transvaalensis Gand. [family NYCTAGINACEAE], in Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 66: 221 (1919). Type: South Africa, Transvaal, Marabastad, Schlechter 4339 (LY, holo., K, iso.!)
Distribution
TANZANIA Mpwapwa District 14 km. on Mpwapwa–Kongwa track, 11 Apr. 1988, Bidgood, Mwasumbi & Vollesen 1014!;TANZANIA Kilosa District 3–10 km. on Malolo–Kisanga track, 3 Apr. 1988, Bidgood, Mwasumbi & Vollesen 884!;TANZANIA Iringa District Ruaha National Park, Mwayangi, Ruaha R. camp, 17 May 1987, Lovett, Hanby & Bygott 2151!
Notes
The East African collections differ from the southern African populations in having a simple umbel and generally longer indumentum. They have been identified previously as C. grandiflorus or C. greenwayi but the anthocarps differ significantly from both these species. Specimens of C. grandiflorus in Ethiopia approach the East African form of C. pentandrus; this includes the type specimen Schimper 1719, which lacks flowers and anthocarps. In East Africa though C. grandiflorus tends to have smaller flowers, 6–9 mm. long, than C. pentandrus and the plants are much more viscous.