Notes

P. kermesina is a variable species, typically with an erect habit, narrow terete sharply acute leaves, long spreading involucral leaves, bright crimson-red flowers and a metallic-grey seed, but including forms with flowers grading to orange or pink, involucral leaves not much longer than the flower cluster, and silvery seeds. Both flower and seed size are particularly variable, and possibly a complex with differing chromosomal levels is involved. A form from the Kacheliba area has short (7 mm long) narrowly elliptic leaves, rather inconspicuous axillary hairs, and smaller flowers (petals up to 4 mm) than usual e.g. Tweedie 3338 & Mortimer T169 (bothK2); Thomas 3400 (U1). Specimens from coastal sand south of the Tana River approach P. coralloides in their slender habit and high stamen number (15–19) e.g. Graham 1623, Rawlins 185 & 807 (allK7).Specimens have often been misidentified as P. foliosa Ker Gawl., but this has notched petals and a black seed.