[Botany • 2022] Commiphora omundomba (Burseraceae) • A New Species from the Kaokoveld Centre of Endemism, Angola and Namibia

Commiphora omundomba Swanepoel & Weeks,

in Swanepoel, Weeks & van Wyk, 2022. 

Iona corkwood | ionakanniedood  || DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.543.4.1

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Photographs by W. Swanepoel.

Abstract

Commiphora omundomba, described here as a new species, is known only from the Kaokoveld Centre of Endemism, a biogeographical region in southwestern Angola and Northwestern Namibia. It has hitherto been confused with C. dinteri from west-central Namibia, but both morphological and molecular evidence support a distinction between the two species. Phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence data indicates that C. omundomba shares most-recent common ancestry with C. buruxa, a species limited to the Gariep Centre of Endemism in southwestern Namibia. Diagnostic morphological characters for C. omundomba include the white, viscous exudate, smooth bark and glabrous, trifoliolate leaves. Photographs of the plant and a distribution map are provided. The new species is mainly confined to near the Atlantic coast of the northern Namib Desert, and is widespread and locally common between Santa Maria in Angola and Puros in Namibia.

Keywords: Commiphora buruxa, Commiphora dinteri, Iona National Park, Kaokoveld Centre of Endemism, Namib Desert, phylogeny, Sapindales, systematics, taxonomy

Commiphora omundomba, flower (A, B), fruit (C–E) and stone (F–H) morphology.
A & B. Male flower with three petals and three stamens, viewed from the side (A) and from above (B). C–E. Fruit in posterior (C), anterior (D), and side (E) view. F–H. Stone with pseudo-aril, view of fertile locule (F), sterile locule (G), and as seen from the side (H).

Scale bar = 2 mm. Photographs by W. Swanepoel.

Commiphora omundomba, variation in leaf morphology (A, B) and trunk with thicker branches showing smooth, non-peeling bark (C).
A. Leaves with lamina entire. B. Leaves with lamina crenate to crenate-serrate. C. Plant with short trunk (partly hollowed out), about 200 mm in diameter; note some branches with prominent almost parallel longitudinal ridges.

Scale bar = 5 mm. Photographs by W. Swanepoel.

Commiphora omundomba, habitat and habit.
A. Ascending, leafless shrub-like trees in foreground, ca. 70 km from the Atlantic Coast.
B. Prostrate shrub on top of sandstone cliffs along the coast.

Photographs by W. Swanepoel.

Commiphora omundomba Swanepoel & Weeks, sp. nov. 

Diagnosis:— Differs from C. dinteri in the terminal leaflets being oblanceolate or narrowly obovate (vs. obovate); lateral leaflets oblanceolate, narrowly obovate, obovate, elliptic, oblong, or suborbicular (vs. broadly elliptic or suborbicular); ratio length of terminal leaflets to width being 1.9–3.2:1 (vs.1–2:1); ratio length of terminal leaflets to lateral leaflets being 1.1–1.4:1 (vs. 1.5–2.9:1); leaflet margins often entire (vs. always toothed); calyx eglandular (vs. glandular); number of calyx lobes and petals 3 or rarely 4 (vs. 4); number of disc lobes 3 or rarely 4 (vs. 4); in male flowers distal part of disc lobes adnate to hypanthium, obscurely bifid at apex (vs. distal part not adnate to hypanthium, distinctly bifid at apex); pseudo-aril with commissural arms shorter, extending 25–65% the length of putamen (vs. longer, 75–95%).

Etymology and common names:—The specific epithet is the local Ovahimba vernacular name (a dialect of Otjiherero) for the new species. As vernacular names in English and Afrikaans we propose Iona corkwood and ionakanniedood.

Wessel Swanepoel, Andrea Weeks and Abraham E. van Wyk. 2022. Commiphora omundomba (Burseraceae), A New Species from Angola and Namibia. Phytotaxa. 543(4); 207-218. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.543.4.1 

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[Botany • 2019] Boswellia occulta (Burseraceae) • A New Species of Frankincense Tree from Somalia (Somaliland)

Boswellia occulta Thulin, DeCarlo & S.P.Johnson

in Thulin, DeCarlo & Johnson, 2019.

  DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.394.3.3

Abstract

The new species Boswellia occulta is described from a small area in the Ceel Afweyn District of Somaliland (northwestern Somalia), where it is locally of considerable socio-economic importance. Although used for frankincense production by many generations of local harvesters, it has been unknown to science until now. Apart from the recently collected type material, it is also known from a sterile and hitherto misunderstood collection made in 1945. The simple-leaved Boswellia occulta is morphologically compared with B. sacra and B. frereana, the two major frankincense-producing species in the region, both with imparipinnate leaves, and it appears to be most closely related to B. sacra. The new species is the only simple-leaved species of Boswellia known outside Socotra.

Keywords: Boswellia, frankincense, taxonomy, Somaliland, Eudicots

FIGURE 1. Holotype of Boswellia occulta, with field label and still unmounted.

 Photograph: Stephen P. Johnson.

FIGURE 2. Boswellia occulta, from the type locality
A. Tree, in leaf; B. Tree, showing swollen disk-shaped base when growing on rock; C. Branches, showing foliage; D. Trunk with incisions, showing resin oozing out.

Photographs: Ahmed Mohamed Dhunkaal.

Boswellia occulta Thulin, DeCarlo & S.P.Johnson sp. nov.

Boswellia occulta differs from B. frereana by its flowers with white (vs reddish or greenish red) petals and tubular (vs flattened) disk, and fruits with 4–5 [vs (5–)6(–8)] locules; and from B. sacra by its glabrous (vs ± densely pubescent) leaves with mostly strongly undulate-sinuate (vs crenate to subentire) margins, and unwinged pyrenes (vs pyrenes often more or less surrounded by a persistent wing); and from both B. frereana and B. sacra by its simple (vs imparipinnate) leaves.

...

Distribution and habitat:— Boswellia occulta is only known from a small area in northwestern Somalia (Somaliland) (Fig. 4), where it is locally common and the dominant tree on west-facing arid hillsides on limestone at 400–500 m elevation. The tree usually grows directly on limestone cliffs and boulders, and then has a more or less swollen disk-shaped base of the trunk (Fig. 2B). More detailed studies of the extent of the range of the species and the numbers and densities of the trees and their regeneration are planned in the near future.

Etymology:— The epithet “occulta” (from Latin “occultus”, hidden) refers to the history of this species that, although used for frankincense production by many generations of local harvesters, has been unknown to science until now.

Vernacular name and uses:— Mohor madow (Somali, fide Glover & Gilliland 719 and Ahmed Mohamed Dhunkaal s.n.); this is the vernacular name generally used also for B. sacra in Somalia. However, the harvesters in the B. occulta area distinguish between B. occulta (“mohor madow”) and B. sacra (“mohor cad”, “mohor dadbeed” or “mohor lab”). Frankincense produced from B. occulta (Fig. 2D) has unique properties (DeCarlo, unpublished research data) and is important in the local economy

Mats Thulin, Anjanette DeCarlo and Stephen P. Johnson. 2019. Boswellia occulta (Burseraceae), A New Species of Frankincense Tree from Somalia (Somaliland). Phytotaxa. 394(3); 219–224.   DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.394.3.3

[Herpetology • 2018] Telescopus pulcher • New Records of One of the Least Known Snakes (Squamata: Colubridae) from the Horn of Africa

Telescopus pulcher (Scortecci, 1935)

in Mazuch, Šmíd, Price, et al., 2018. 

DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4462.4.2 

Abstract

Telescopus pulcher is an enigmatic colubrid snake only known from the holotype and paratype specimens described from ‘Migiurtinia’ in Puntland (Somalia) in 1935. Herein we recorded the third and fourth-ever known specimens of this species from the Toon village, Woqooyi Galbeed Region, and 15 km southeast of Sheikh, Saahil Region, Somaliland. The species is endemic to Somaliland and adjoining parts of Ethiopia and Puntland. Data on morphology and natural history, as well as the first photographs of live specimens are provided. We also provide a detailed description of the paratype. The coloration of the species resembles that of the vipers of the genus Echis and we hypothesize that T. pulcher mimics these common and sympatric vipers in the Horn of Africa.

 Keywords: Reptilia, Distribution, Somaliland, Migiurtinophis, Somalia, Tarbophis, Migiurtinia, Echis, Batesian mimicry

Photograph of live Telescopus pulcher. the juvenile (NMP 75609) from 15 km southeast of Sheikh, Somaliland.  

 Tomáš Mazuch, Jiří Šmíd, Thomas Price, Petra Frýdlová, Ahmed I. Awale, Hassan S. A. Elmi and Daniel Frynta. 2018. New Records of One of the Least Known Snakes, Telescopus pulcher (Squamata: Colubridae) from the Horn of Africa. Zootaxa. 4462(4); 483–496. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4462.4.2

[Herpetology • 2016] Rediscovery and A New Record of Hemidactylus laevis (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from Somaliland, with Notes on and Resurrection of Hemidactylus fragilis

Hemidactylus laevis Adult specimen. One of the rarest gecko species of the world - this is the first picture of live adult specimen of Hemidactylus laevis (Sanaag, Somaliland). Until now, this gecko was known only from one specimen from Gaan Libah. It belongs to H. laticaudatus group.

photo: Tomas Mazuch  flickr.com

DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4117.4.5

Abstract

Hemidactylus laevis, a gekkonid lizard originally described from the Gaan Libah Mountains in Somaliland, is recorded herein from Erigavo, Sanaag Region, in the same state, which represents the second-ever known specimen and locality for this species in more than 100 years since its description. The species is endemic to Somaliland. Data on morphology and natural history, as well as the first life photographs are provided. Based on morphological data we conclude the species to be closely related to H. laticaudatus. Additionally, H. fragilis from southern Somalia and extreme south-east Ethiopia is resurrected from the synonymy of H. frenatus based on morphological data.

Keywords: Reptilia, Distribution, Ethiopia, Hemidactylus frenatus, Hemidactylus laticaudatus, Horn of Africa, Somalia

FIGURE 2. (A) Live female of Hemidactylus laevis (NMP 75148) from Erigavo, Somaliland; (B) detail of the head of the same specimen; (C) unvouchered adult specimen from the same locality; (D) habitat of both specimens (Hotel Sanaag); (E) immediate surroundings of the Hotel Sanaag; (F) typical landscape around Erigavo (5 km NW of the town); (G) Daalloh forest in Cal Madow Mountains, supposed primary habitat of H. laevis. This type of montane forest (ca. 1600–2100 m a.s.l.) is very similar to the forest from upper parts of Gaan Libah (ca. 1550–1700 m a.s.l.), the type locality of H. laevis.

 Tomas Mazuch, Jiri Smid and Aaron M. Bauer. 2016. Rediscovery and A New Record of Hemidactylus laevis (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from Somaliland, with Notes on and Resurrection of Hemidactylus fragilis.   Zootaxa. 4117(4):529. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4117.4.5

ResearchGate.net/publication/303746834_Rediscovery_and_a_new_record_of_Hemidactylus_laevis_Reptilia_Gekkonidae_from_Somaliland_with_notes_on_and_resurrection_of_Hemidactylus_fragilis

 flickr.com/photos/58603885@N04/16573254285