More new species published!
Four more new species from the GCFR have now been described and published. Lots more still to come...
The article is free to read: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2023.10.003
Four more new species from the GCFR have now been described and published. Lots more still to come...
The article is free to read: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2023.10.003
How to ID Indigofera (for when mr_fab is busy)
must have a side view) ESSENTIAL.
typically Indigofera have short calyx tubesExample:
Indigofera discolor Group (2 old and 4 new):
Indigofera procumbens - "peanut" Indigo
Indigofera discolor
Indigofera harveyana - Langebaan: spider-like calices dense on developing inflorescence, lobes and bracts crispy, wing petals much longer than keel
Indigofera basonii - hairy, lanceolate calyx lobes, discolorous hairy leaves: few sites in Sandveld region, Piketberg to Maskam (Rooibos and other agriculture present threat)
Indigofera cousinii - violet colour, short, linear calyx lobes and hairless fruit
Indigoferea rubrovinacea - leaves venate, hairless fruit, flowers red-wine colour, dark in bud phase, rostrate keel
All four new ones are EN or CR
Very palatable: eaten to death ... in Karoo and Renosterveld often only found in road reserves - Fynbos species not so bad
Notes from a talk by @mr_fab on 17 Sep 2023 at CREW AGT
Status of the genus in the GCFR.
9,273 Observations.
9,107 Research Grade (140 species) - 98.2% of records
55 Needs ID - 0.6% of records
107 Planted and problematic (12 species) - 1.2%
In gathering the botanical data for his PhD, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Brian du Preez clocked up some impressive numbers scouring the Greater Cape Floristic Region’s (GCFR) remote regions: hundreds of kilometres on foot, in and out of mountains and kloofs, and thousands by car. In that time, he surveyed 150 different taxa, collected specimens of 50 undescribed Indigofera species, discovered a further three new species, and rediscovered two species thought to be extinct.
read on!!
I have started a new umbrella project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/indigofera-key for the purpose of acting as a photographic key based on various sections within the GCFR. Each section can be navigated individually to make finding something easier. These projects are incomplete as they do not contain all species (undescribed species largely not in dictionary cannot be included). These will only be complete after taxonomic revisions have been published (hopefully by end of 2023).
Please continue to post Indigofera observations on iNaturalist, your contributions have been invaluable! Join the umbrella project and each section project to get the most out of these ever developing tools, and stay updated on taxonomic changes when they come into effect.
Our database has grown to impressive numbers. Over 5000 observations of Indigofera in the Cape have been posted.
Thanks for your great effort.
We are slowly updating information as the review in Indigofera nears completion.
You can review the following if you are interested.
The following still need ID to species level:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch%2Ccasual&project_id=indigofera-of-the-gcfr&lrank=complex¬_in_project=19375
The following observations are of undescribed species, not yet in the iNaturalist dictionary. These are accessed under the Undescribed Species Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=undescribed-species-and-taxa&taxon_id=83365&verifiable=any
(You can see individual species by tweaking this url - for "Indigofera rodinii"
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?verifiable=any&place_id=any&field:New%20species%20reference%20and%20name=Indigofera%20rodinii%20sp%2e%20nov%2e )
Some of the more common underscribed species do have names - these are in the dictionary and will be updated as soon as they are published.
The following observations have been identified to species level, but need confirmation and checking:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?quality_grade=needs_id%2Ccasual&project_id=indigofera-of-the-gcfr&hrank=species&lrank=species
To see all the species observed so far:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/indigofera-of-the-gcfr?tab=species
Thank you for your contributions to unravelling Indigofera.