Indigofera of the GCFR's Journal

October 8, 2023

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

@tonyrebelo @jeremygilmore

Posted on October 8, 2023 12:53 PM by mr_fab mr_fab | 6 comments | Leave a comment

September 17, 2023

How to ID Indigofera!

How to ID Indigofera (for when mr_fab is busy)

  • number of leaflets (single, trifoliolate, 5-7-9 (-15) foliolate)
  • leaves pinnate (rachis with terminal leaflet) or digitate (like a palm - all leaflets in one cluster)
  • indumentum on leaves and flowers (none, simple, dentritic (tree: mist catchers)) - density, adpressed or erect,
  • pods - hairy or glabrous (also: pod length - not so useful in Cape)
  • calyx length, and shape of lobes (must have a side view) ESSENTIAL. typically Indigofera have short calyx tubes
  • habit (reseeder or resprouter)
  • habit - growth form: sprawling or creeping.
  • spines or brachyplasts (leaves fascicled on knobs) or none
  • length of raceme (relative to leaves: shorter or longer)
  • petals after pollination: fall off or retained.(dry up as fruit develops)
  • fruit (seeds): difficult as the ripening is delayed and fruit seldom on plant when in flower and plants (near) impossible to find in fruit only.

Example:

  • 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

  • favourite: Indigofera limosa (after I. anastasia [not a dancing partner])

Notes from a talk by @mr_fab on 17 Sep 2023 at CREW AGT

Posted on September 17, 2023 07:24 AM by tonyrebelo tonyrebelo | 2 comments | Leave a comment

September 1, 2023

Spring 2023 Update.

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%

Posted on September 1, 2023 11:22 AM by tonyrebelo tonyrebelo | 0 comments | Leave a comment

July 21, 2023

mr fab is now dr pea

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!!

http://www.news.uct.ac.za/news/graduation/2023/july/-article/2023-07-21-phd-graduand-clocks-vast-distances-on-foot-collecting-150-taxa-including-50-undescribed-species?fbclid=IwAR0BGP7kFVhgy8uhx6Xf_QL-E71hXk2SdmX1mMZAPEA7Rz7l_sCt-OBLTWQ

Posted on July 21, 2023 07:53 PM by tonyrebelo tonyrebelo | 2 comments | Leave a comment

September 6, 2022

Update and new projects!

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.

Posted on September 6, 2022 01:23 PM by mr_fab mr_fab | 0 comments | Leave a comment

January 17, 2022

Progress from mr_fab to dr_fab and to all Indigofora on iNaturalist described and identified

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&not_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.

Posted on January 17, 2022 01:11 PM by tonyrebelo tonyrebelo | 4 comments | Leave a comment