United States
£ GBP
A taxonomic revision of the genus Drimia in southern Africa, in which we recognise 70 species with 61 endemic to the region. The account includes the new combination D. basutica for the illegitimate D. angustifolia Baker (1897) plus additional combinations for names that were invalidly published. Also described are eight new species: D. barbata, D. ciliolata, D. decipiens, D. juncifolia, D. khubusensis, D. monophylla and D. schizobasoides from the Greater Cape Floristic Region, and D. vespertina from northern Namibia and southern Angola. Four taxa are synonymised: Albuca reflexa is included in D. indica, D. loedolffiae in D. calcarata, D. saniensis in D. depressa, and D. macrocarpa in D. basutica; and D. ecklonii is recognised as an earlier name for D. ligulata. Drimia nitida is confirmed as the earliest name for Ledebouria concolor (Baker) Jessop and the necessary new combination and synonymy in Ledebouria is provided. A detailed infrageneric classification for southern African Drimia is provided in which 19 morphologically coherent sections diagnosed by a combination of traditional and novel characters is recognised. The account includes full species descriptions, notes on ecology, distribution maps and identification keys to the sections and species, and line drawings of almost half of the species.
