266-299 - SABONET

numerous raised ribs and a narrow yellow scabrid or ciliate margin, ribs
minutely hairy or not; inflorescence unbranched or with 2 small branches
near the base, to 120 mm long, flowers white, petals 9–11 mm long; capsule
6–8 x 5–6 mm; in open woodland and grassland. Centred on Zimbabwe,
Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania; three subspecies occur in Malawi,
but the subspecies on Nyika is not recorded by Patel (1999).
Source. Kativu (1994: 76); F.T.E.A. Anthericaceae: 34 (1997).
Malawi. Nyika National Park, without locality or collecting details (Patel 1999).
Chlorophytum stolzii (Krause) Kativu
Plants large, 0.85–2.5 m tall, rhizome moniliform, roots with long tubers;
leaves more or less distichous, sheathing basally, broadly linear, to 800 x
20–35 mm, glabrous; inflorescence unbranched or almost so, to 700 mm
long, flowers white with a green keel, petals 12–20 x 3–7 mm, pedicels
articulated near middle; capsules obovoid, 10–12 mm; in open miombo
woodland and tall grassland; often in wet places and along stream banks;
800–2,000 m. Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, D.R.C., Burundi, and Tanzania.
Source. Kativu (1994: 78); F.T.E.A. Anthericaceae: 15 (1997).
Malawi. Nyika National Park, Mbuzinandi Road, 1977, Pawek 12930 (K,
MAL, MO).
Chlorophytum subpetiolatum (Baker) Kativu
Anthericum subpetiolatum Baker; Anthericum dimorphum Poelln.;
Anthericum stolzii Engl. & Krause
Plants variable, clumped or single, 100–400 mm tall, rhizome erect or horizontal,
moniliform, roots fusiform, peduncles papillate to hairy, flowers
relatively large, star-shaped, white, sometimes tinged greenish, petals 8–15
Culcasia falcifolia Engl.
Culcasia scandens auctt., non P.Beauv.
Ground-creeping or climbing vine adhering to tree trunks by means of adventitious
roots; petiole 60–150 mm long, sheath more than half the petiole
length, lamina asymmetrically elliptic to ovate, sometimes falcate, 82–
260 x 35–105 mm; inflorescence 1–4 inserted at nodes, peduncle 45–
140 mm long, spathe 25–50 mm long, greenish white to yellowish, partly
enclosing the narrowly cylindric spadix; fruit a cluster of orange to dark
red berries; in mid-altitude rainforest and swamp forest; 750–1,800 m in
Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, through eastern Africa to Sudan
and Ethiopia.
Source. F.T.E.A. Araceae: 18 (1985); White et al. (2001: 93).
Raphia farinifera (Gaertn.) Hylander
Raphia vinifera sensu Mill (1979), non P.Beauv.
Massive palm 15–25 m tall, often with a number of stems, stem to 0.6 m
diameter: leaves large, to 20 m long, erect and somewhat arching, pinnate,
the leaflets linear-elliptic, margins with a few sharp spines; inflorescence
borne in the axils of the leaves, massive, to 3 m long, drooping, ultimately
bearing numerous ‘hand grenade-like’ fruit with reddish brown plastic-like
scales; in seepage zones in woodland, in riverine forests, and swamp forest;
Borassus sp.
The only species in Africa, Borassus aethiopum is a very distinctive and
conspicuous palm of low-altitudes and it is highly unlikely that it would
Asparagus angolensis Baker
A much-branched more or less scandent shrub, branches hairy; leaves
(cladodes) in dense clusters, subulate, 12–19 mm long; flowers many, in a
fascicle, stalks ca 4.5 mm long, articulated near base; flowers ca 3mm
long; habitat unknown. Described from Angola. This name is widely used
in Malawi, but its application is uncertain. Since there has been no modern
ARACEAE
ARECACEAE
Excluded species
ASPARAGACEAE
x 2.5–4 mm; in open woodland, grasslands, shallow soils over sheetrock,
and seasonally flooded areas; 50–2,450 m. Widespread in Africa, from
Zimbabwe to Nigeria and Ethiopia.
Source. Kativu (1994: 79); F.T.E.A. Anthericaceae: 36 (1997).
Malawi. Nyika Plateau, Nganda Peak, 1974, Pawek 7927 (K, MAL, MO,
SRGH, UC).
Chlorophytum vestitum Baker
Plants 300–700 mm tall, rhizome horizontal, narrow, roots fibrous, with
few tubers; leaves more or less distichous, grass-like ciliate to hairy, 200–
500 x 2–6 mm; inflorescence a lax panicle, flowers yellowish green, petals
3–4 x 1 mm; capsule 3–4 x 4–5.5 mm; in open woodland and wooded
grassland, often in shade; 950–1,600 m. Malawi, Zambia, D.R.C., and
Tanzania.
Source. Kativu (1994: 81); F.T.E.A. Anthericaceae: 15 (1997).
Malawi. Nyika Plateau, 1973, Phillips 838 (K).
Chlorophytum zingiberastrum Nordal & A.D.Poulsen
Chlorophytum orchidastrum sensu Kativu (1994), non Lindl. (1824)
Plants 150–700 mm high with a short pseudostem, rhizome short, vertical,
roots thin with elongate tubers; leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate, 100–400
x 30–80 mm, glabrous, acute to attenuate; inflorescence a lax panicle 120–
180 mm long, flowers greenish, petals 4–6 x 1–1.5 mm; in Brachystegia
woodland, on sandy to gritty-clayey soils overlying rocks, and on termite
mounds; 550–1,950 m. Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania.
Source. Kativu (1994: 700); F.T.E.A. Anthericaceae: 48 (1997).
Malawi. Nyika National Park, without locality or collecting details (Patel
1999).
Malawi. Nyika Plateau, Mwanembwe (Chapman & White 1970: 126).
Stylochiton cf. puberulus N.E.Br.
Seasonally dormant herb with distinctive, broadly triangular leaves with
cordate-sagittate bases; in woodlands. The identity of this collection as S.
puberulus is questionable; according to Mayo in F.T.E.A. Araceae (1985),
this species does not occur above 500 m and it is therefore unlikely that it
would be found on the Nyika. Although the genus undoubtedly occurs
there, the species involved needs to be confirmed.
Source. F.T.E.A. Araceae: 49 (1985).
Malawi. Nyika National Park, without locality or collecting details (Patel
1999).
up to 2,500 m in E. Africa, to ca 1,800 m on Nyika. From Zimbabwe
northwards to Zambia, D.R.C., Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. Most easily
seen in the Thazima Gate area. The woody midribs of the palm fronds
are used for roof rafters and for furniture. The fruits are the staple diet of
the Palm-nut Vulture (Gypohierax angolensis) and the distribution of the
two organisms is often closely inter-linked.
Source. F.T.E.A. Palmae: 38 (1986).
Malawi. Nyika National Park, without locality or collecting details (Mill 1979).
occur as a constituent of the plateau flora. If it did occur within the boundaries
of the Park, other collectors certainly would have sighted it.
Malawi. Nyika National Park, without locality or collecting details (Mill 1979).
revision of the tropical African Asparagus, this taxon is included here with
some reservation.
Source. F.T.A. 7: 432 (1898).
Malawi. Nyika National Park, without locality or collecting details (Patel
1999); Chelinda Bridge, 2000, Thera 3033 (MAL).
Plants of the Nyika Plateau
289
ARACEAE