Introduction

This paper details new species and significant range extensions that have emerged from collections made in north-central Mozambique during the Darwin Project: “Monitoring and Managing Biodiversity Loss in South East Africa’s Montane Ecosystems”. Fieldwork was undertaken on three Mozambican mountains, all in Zambézia Province: Mt Chiperone, Mt Namuli and Mt Mabu (Map 1). Duplicate collections are being distributed to the following herbaria: K, LMA, LMU and MAL. While there have been historical collections from Mt Namuli, all three of these mountains were regarded as poorly botanised prior to this fieldwork due to poor access and the recent past political conflict in Mozambique. The nearby, well-collected and documented massif of Mt Mulanje (Map 1) in neighbouring Malawi provides an obvious point for comparison. Collections from the Mozambican mountains were compared with a checklist for Mt Mulanje (Strugnell 2006). Checklists of the species collected from Mt Chiperone and Mt Namuli have been published as Darwin Project reports (Timberlake et al. 2007, 2009). These also include detailed vegetation descriptions and an account of the skills shared with collaborators. The Darwin Project report for Mt Mabu is in preparation.

Map 1
figure 1

Localities of the mountains referred to, within the Flora Zambesiaca region.

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Study Sites

The three mountains visited in north-central Mozambique can be considered part of a range of mountains that extend south to Gorongosa National Park, Manica Province, Mozambique. Mt Chiperone (16°28’ – 16°30’S 35°42’ – 35°45’E) rises to 2000 m and above 1000 m the vegetation is dominated by wet forest, characterised by Chrysophyllum gorungosanum Engl., Newtonia buchananii (Baker) G. C. C. Gilbert & Boutique and Strombosia scheffleri Engl., with a small area at the summit dominated by thicket of Erica johnstoniana Britten. Mt Namuli (15°20’ – 15°24’S 37°02’ – 37°04’E) near the town of Gurué, rises to over 2000 m in a large massif that supports woodland, wet forest and grassland habitats and areas of exposed rock. Grassland on Mt Namuli occurs at 1850 – 2000 m altitude and is varied in its composition. Forest occurs at 1600 – 1900 m in the valleys below the grassland plateaux. In addition, smaller areas of forest occur at 1950 – 2200 m on two mountain peaks. The forest on Mt Namuli is often dominated by Anthocleista grandiflora Gilg, Cryptocarya liebertiana Engl. and Faurea wentzeliana Engl. Mt Mabu (16°11’ – 16°18’S 36°23’ – 36°25’E) is also in a large massif, rising to 1700 m and is dominated by an extensive area of moist submontane forest between the altitudes 600 – 1600 m. The forest has a high abundance of Chrysophyllum gorungosanum, Lasiodiscus usamberensis Engl. and Strombosia scheffleri. There are also small areas of exposed rock around the summit of Mt Mabu.

New Species

Two new species are described here based on collections from Mt Namuli and a third based on collections from Mt Mabu. Indigofera namuliensis ined., also collected during this project, will be described in the Flora Zambesiaca account of this genus (Schrire in press). Conservation assessments follow the categories and criteria of IUCN (2001).

Crotalaria namuliensis Polhill & T. Harris sp. nov. a C. argyrolobioide Baker racemis persistente magis congestis, floribus minoribus, carina 7 – 9 mm non 9 – 12 mm longa, leguminibus plerumque minoribus 6 – 7  × 3.5 – 4.5 mm non 7 – 8 × 5 – 5.5 mm satis differt. Typus: Mozambique, Zambézia Province, Mt Namuli, 15°23’S 37°02’E, 1920 m, fl. & fr. 28 May 2007, H. Patel 7359 (holotypus K!; isotypus LMA!).

http://www.ipni.org/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77112470-1

Erect, well to sparsely branched annual or short-lived perennial, branching from a single stem, 10 – 50 cm tall. Stems adpressed pubescent, branches with very dense short stiff hairs c. 0.3 mm long. Stipules absent. Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets oblanceolate, 3 – 10 × 1.5 – 4 mm, apex truncate with an acumen, very sparsely fine pubescent above, densely adpressed pubescent beneath with short stiff hairs; petiole 2 – 5.5 mm long. Racemes dense, terminal, 10 – 17 mm long, 3 – 10-flowered without many flowers developing in the axils below; bracts linear, 1 – 2 mm long, abaxially densely pubescent; pedicels 3 – 4.5 mm long, ascending; bracteoles on pedicel, filiform, c. 1 mm long, abaxially densely pubescent. Calyx 3.5 – 4.5 mm long, adpressed pubescent; upper lobes attenuately triangular, 2 – 2.5 times as long as the tube. Corolla: standard elliptic, 6 – 7.5 × 5.5 – 6.5 mm, inner face yellow occasionally marked with a red crescent, outer face red, pubescent on upper part of midvein and densely so near apex, base rounded with claw 0.3 – 1 mm long; wings nearly oblong, slightly broadened upwards, c. 2 mm wide, 4.5 – 7 mm long, base asymmetrical with claw 1 – 1.3 mm long; keel angular and slightly twisted at apex, 7 – 9 mm long, base asymmetrically rounded with claw 0.5 – 1 mm long. Stamens: filaments bearing longer anthers fused for 2 – 2.5 mm, free parts 4 – 4.5 mm long, filaments bearing shorter anthers fused for 1.25 – 1.5 mm, free parts 0.9 – 1.7 mm long. Ovary c. 2.5 mm long, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, c. 10-ovulate, style geniculate, the distal part c. 4.5 mm long, hairy along both sides. Legume sessile, obliquely inserted, shortly cylindrical, 6 – 7 × 3.5 – 4.5 mm, adpressed pubescent. Seeds ± 10 per legume, c. 1.5 mm long, without an aril. Fig. 1.

Fig. 1
figure 2

Crotalaria namuliensis. A habit; B stem hairs; C leaf; D flower side view; E standard (adaxial); F wing (abaxial); G keel; H pistil; J pod; K open pod half; L seed. A – J from H. Patel 7359, K from J. Timberlake 5030. drawn by juliet beentje.

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distribution. Mt Namuli, Zambézia Province, Mozambique.

specimens examined. mozambique. Zambézia Province: Gurué, Mt Namuli 15°23’’S 37°02’E, 1920 m, 28 May 2007, H. Patel 7359 (holotype K!; isotype LMA!); Mt Namuli 15°23’S 37°02’E, 1870 m, 24 May 2007, T. Harris 166 (K!, LMA!); Mt Namuli 15°21’S 37°04’E, 1820 m, 2 June 2007, T. Harris 291 (K!, LMA!); Mt Namuli 15°23’S 37°02’E, 1900 m, 27 May 2007, J. Timberlake 5030 (K!, LMA!).

habitat. Only known from these four collections all from montane grassland above 1800 m on Mt Namuli. Potentially on comparable mountains in northern Mozambique.

conservation status. This species is preliminarily assessed as Critically Endangered (CR B1b(iii) + B2ab(iii)) as it is currently only known from one location and the current known Extent of Occurrence is 1.25 km2. There is a potential threat to the extent of grassland habitat as a result of expansion of cattle grazing on the Muretha plateau, Mt Namuli. This assessment may need to be downgraded if collections are made from new localities.

notes. Crotalaria namuliensis is easily recognised as a member of sect. Dispermae Wight & Arn. on account of the keel with a twisted beak, the small pods and lack of stipules. C. namuliensis is distinguished from C. argyrolobioides Baker by its smaller flowers (keel 7 – 9 mm vs 9 – 12 mm) and smaller pods (width 3.5 – 4.5 vs 5 – 5.5 mm), and by its more compact inflorescences. When material of this entity was first examined in the Herbarium at Kew, it was almost immediately evident that it represented an interesting new species. It is certainly closely related to C. argyrolobioides, which is quite widely distributed on high ground along the Western Rift from the Marungu Mts to Mt Mulanje. The several specimens from the montane grassland of Namuli represent a uniform facies that is quite distinct from other species in the cluster around C. argyrolobioides. As explained in the account of that species in Polhill (1982: 312 – 313), C. argyrolobioides is rather variable, so that its close and more uniform allies are a little difficult to distinguish precisely. C. argyrolobioides extends down from high ground along rivers into areas of Brachystegia woodland and diversifies considerably. When we came to write up C. namuliensis for this paper it was a little disappointing that the technical characters we offer to define the entity are not quite as convincing as might be desired. However there is no clinal variation or signs of intergradation between the highland populations of C. argyrolobioides on Mulanje and C. namuliensis on Mt Namuli that would suggest ranking at subspecific level or less.

Isoglossa namuliensis I. Darbysh. & T. Harris sp. nov. ab I. milanjiensis S. Moore bracteis ad marginem dentibus 1 – 4 numero prominentibus acutis ornatis (nec integris nec dentibus minutis obtusis ornatis) atque ad apicem acumine conspicuo lineari 4 – 4.5 mm longo (nec acumine careati neque usque 2.5 mm tantum longo), bracteolis longioribus (7 – 8.5 mm nec 3 – 6.5 mm) longis et lobis labii inferioris corollae oblongis 3.5 – 4 mm (nec rotundatus, 1 – 2.5 mm) longus differt. Typus: Mozambique, Zambézia Province, Gurué, Namuli Mt, slopes above Rio Licungo valley, fl. 16 Nov. 2007, T. Harris 324 (holotypus K!).

http://www.ipni.org/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77112471-1

Weakly decumbent perennial herb, stems to 70 cm long and 15 cm tall in the single specimen seen but probably attaining greater height, rooting at lower nodes. Stems quadrangular and furrowed when young, subangular when mature, green with swollen nodes purple, shortly crisped-pubescent when young, hairs mainly retrorse, later glabrescent. Leaves: petiole 18 – 40 mm long, antrorse-pubescent, hairs longest on the upper margins; blade 10 – 12.5 × 3.3 – 4.5 cm, elliptic, base cuneate-attenuate, margin subentire, apex acuminate, principal veins and margin shortly pubescent; lateral veins 6 – 8 pairs. Inflorescence terminal, a spiciform thyrse, c. 7.5 cm long, each cymule single-flowered, flowers sessile; axis antrorse-pubescent and with scattered patent glandular hairs increasing upwards; bracts 9 – 11.5 × 4.5 – 7 mm, flabellate with a pronounced, outcurved acumen, 4 – 4.5 mm long, margin with 1 – 4 prominent teeth below the acumen, surface green, somewhat paler towards base, eglandular-pubescent, hairs longest on margin and midrib, and with interspersed short glandular hairs; bracteoles 7 – 8.5 × 0.8 – 1.5 mm, linear-lanceolate, pale green with darker midrib. Calyx lobes 6.7 – 8.2 mm long in flower, linear-lanceolate, shortly eglandular-pubescent with interspersed short glandular hairs. Corolla 14.5 – 16.5 mm long, white with maroon markings on palate of lower lip and throat; limb sparsely pubescent outside mainly towards apex of lobes; tube c. 4 mm long, subcampanulate, with a ring of hairs within immediately below insertion point of stamens; upper lip c. 11.5 mm long, lobes 1.2 – 2.3 mm long; lower lip 10 – 12.5 mm long, palate minutely papillose, with raised “herring-bone” venation, lobes 3.5 – 4 mm long, oblong, median lobe wider than lateral pair. Stamens attached in upper half of corolla tube; filaments free for 4 – 4.5 mm, glabrous; anthers exserted, thecae superposed and separated by c. 1 mm, upper theca 1.6 – 1.8 mm long, parallel or somewhat oblique to the filament, lower theca 1.35 – 1.5 mm long, held ± patent to filament. Pollen gürtelpollen (biporate, circular in polar view and with a marginal girdle). Ovary glabrous; style ± 6 mm long, glabrous. Capsule and seeds not seen. Fig. 2A – F.

Fig. 2
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Isoglossa namuliensis. A habit sketch; B habit; C inflorescence; D bracts (abaxial); E calyx and bracteoles; F corolla, opened, and stamens. Isoglossa milanjiensis. G bract (abaxial) for comparison, extreme variant with slightly toothed margin. A – F from T. Harris 324, G from Robinson 5323. drawn by juliet beentje.

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distribution. Mt Namuli, Mozambique, known only from the type.

specimen examined. mozambique. Zambézia Province: Gurué, Namuli Mt, slopes above Rio Licungo valley, fl. 16 Nov. 2007, T. Harris 324 (holotype K!).

habitat. Recorded from a pathside in moist montane Podocarpus-Syzygium forest with the understorey including Cyathea; alt. 1890 m.

conservation status. During the November 2007 expedition to Mt Namuli, evidence of small-scale forest clearance through burning for potato farming was found along the Rio Licungo valley, the single known locality for Isoglossa namuliensis. The combination of a single subpopulation and a projected decline in habitat quality currently qualifies this species as Critically Endangered (CR B1ab(iii) + B2ab(iii)). If, as predicted, this species has a plietesial ecology (see below) it may prove to be more widespread or even locally abundant in the forests of Namuli. However, this unusual ecology, in which the number of mature individuals varies widely year on year, would in any case qualify this species as CR under criterion B1/2 ac(iv).

notes. Isoglossa namuliensis falls within a group of closely allied species recorded from eastern Africa (I. substrobilina C. B. Clarke, I. bracteosa Mildbr. and I. milanjiensis S. Moore) and in southern Africa (I. woodii C. B. Clarke and allies; see Poriazis & Balkwill 2008). Throughout this group the inflorescences are spiciform or paniculate thyrses with sessile flowers subtended by conspicuous bracts, the corollas are small with a conspicuously upraised and “herring-bone” patterned palate to the lower lip, and the anther thecae are superposed and strongly oblique to the filaments. Within this complex, I. namuliensis is both geographically and morphologically closest to I. milanjiensis S. Moore which occurs on Mt Mulanje in S Malawi, Mt Gorongosa in C Mozambique and the Inyanga-Vumba highlands on the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border. It differs in the bracts having 1 – 4 conspicuous slender teeth along each margin (a character which separates it from all other species in this complex), a prominent linear acumen 4 – 4.5 mm long and numerous minute eglandular hairs on the outer surface in addition to the scattered glandular hairs. In I. milanjiensis the bracts subtending each flower (Fig. 2G)Footnote 1 have an entire or at most minutely and bluntly toothed margin, the acumen is short, 0.5 – 2.5 mm long, or absent and the surface lacks eglandular hairs except along the margin and midrib (glandular hairs varying from absent to dense). In addition, I. namuliensis has longer bracteoles, 7 – 8.5 mm versus 3 – 6.5 mm, and the lobes to the lower lip of the corolla are oblong and 3.5 – 4 mm long, not rounded and 1 – 2.5 mm long. The southern African members of this complex are currently under revision by K. Balkwill and D. Poriazis at the University of Witwatersrand.

Only a single flowering spike of this species was found during the November 2007 visit, despite the large extent of suitable habitat on the mountain. Several species of Isoglossa are known to have a plietesial life-cycle, i.e. perennial monocarpy and synchronous periodic flowering of populations (see Darbyshire 2009). These include the related I. substrobilina (Tweedie 1965) and I. woodii (van Steenis 1978), and a plietesial life-cycle is also inferred for I. milanjiensis from collecting notes on herbarium collections. In such species, it is not uncommon to find occasional plants flowering outside of the “mass flowering” years. It is therefore quite possible that I. namuliensis is a further plietesial species. This, together with the few previous botanical expeditions to Mt Namuli, may help to explain the lack of previous collections of this species.

Helixanthera schizocalyx T. Harris, I. Darbysh. & Polhill sp. nov. a H. verruculosa Wiens & Polhill calyce cupulato profunde 4-lobato non annuliformi, antheris 5 – 5.5 mm non 1.5 – 3 mm longis, receptaculo minute papilloso non verruculoso facile distinguitur. Typus: Mozambique: Zambézia province, Mt Mabu, 16°17’S 36°23’E, 1642 m, in bud, 26 Oct. 2008, T. Harris 664 (holotypus K!; isotypus LMA!).

http://www.ipni.org/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77112472-1

Parasitic shrub, with a more or less erect habit, c. 50 cm high, arising from a single haustorial connection. Stems branched, branchlets somewhat flattened when young, otherwise terete, 1.5 – 4 mm diam., pale brown. Leaves opposite or subopposite, glabrous; petiole 4 – 12 mm long; lamina thin and slightly textured, oblong to elliptic, 3.3 – 9.2 × 1.7 – 3.4 cm, with 5 – 13 pairs of lateral veins, apex acuminate, base rounded to obtuse, occassionally obliquely asymmetrical. Racemes terminal or axillary, 3.5 – 6.5 cm long, 35 – 50-flowered, glabrous, the flowers closely arranged above, probably more laxly so as they mature; pedicels 2 – 4.5 mm long, spreading or sometimes erect; bract ovate-triangular, c. 1 mm long, umbonate, with ciliolate margin. Receptacle c. 1.7 mm long, with minute pimples c. 0.1 mm wide; calyx c. 0.7 mm long, clearly lobed, usually to base, lobes ciliate at the apex. Corolla in bud yellowish green, slightly quadrangular at base, c. 1.3 mm diam. with indistinct shoulder c. 3 mm from base, the apical portion tapering; mature flowers not seen. Staminal filaments ± 1.4 mm long with two projections either side at base, projections c. 0.4 mm long; anthers locellate 5 – 5.5 mm long. Style 6.5 – 7 mm long, quadrangular, drying with four prominent ridges in cross-section. Fruit not seen.

distribution. Mt Mabu, Mozambique.

specimens examined. mozambique. Zambézia province: Mt Mabu, 16°17’S 36°23’E, 1642 m, in bud, 26 Oct. 2008, T. Harris 660 (K!, LMA!); & T. Harris 664 (K!, LMA!, type); & 16°18’S 36°23’E, 1638 m, in bud, 26 Oct. 2008, H. Patel & C. Congdon 8017 (K!, LMA!).

habitat. Only known from the three collections cited, all from the montane forest edge, at the transition to Coleochloa-dominated habitat; alt. 1640 m. Potentially on comparable mountains in northern Mozambique.

conservation status. This species is preliminarily assessed as Vulnerable (VU D2) as it is currently known only from one location. We were not able to calculate the Extent of Occurrence for this species as it is only known from two different localities. (Harris 660 & Harris 664 share the same coordinates). There was a limited amount of disturbance from trapping and from cultivation at lower altitudes, but not sufficient to be regarded as a threat to this species or its habitat. However, the extremely limited distribution of this species renders it threatened by localised effects of even small scale disturbance such as fire or climate change. This assessment may need to be downgraded if collections are made from new localities or upgraded if further evidence of threats arises.

notes. Helixanthera schizocalyx falls within the Sycophila group of Helixanthera, a small series of allopatric forest species restricted to Africa with characteristically locellate anthers: H. mannii (Oliv.) Danser in equatorial Africa, H. verruculosa Wiens & Polhill in the southern highlands of Tanzania and H. woodii (Schltr. & K. Krause) Danser from Chimanimani south to KwaZulu-Natal. In the following section we report on H. verruculosa being found on Mt Namuli during this project. H. schizocalyx differs from the other species in having a distinctly cupular-lobed rather than an annular calyx. At first sight the receptacle seems to be smooth, but small scattered pimples are clearly visible under a binocular microscope when dried material is reconstituted by gently boiling. H. schizocalyx has a more deeply lobed calyx than H. mannii. H. schizocalyx also has a somewhat erect habit, whereas H. mannii has a spreading or pendant habit. H. mannii usually has a smooth receptacle, although some Gabon material of H. mannii has a different pattern of fine lines of longitudinal pimples. In H. verruculosa the tubercules are much more conspicuous, and otherwise receptacles and fruits of this series seem to be smooth (Polhill & Wiens 1998). H. schizocalyx also has longer anthers than H. verruculosa (5 – 5.5 mm long vs. 1.5 – 3 mm long). Further differences may be evident when good flowering and fruiting material is available for comparison.

Range Extensions

Three groups of range extensions are dealt with in this section. Taxa collected during fieldwork were judged to be range extensions if they had not been recorded as being distributed in Mozambique in Flora Zambesiaca, Flora of Tropical East Africa or Strugnell (2006) or in herbarium collections held at K. Listed first are five species recorded for the first time from the Flora Zambesiaca region. Then range extensions within the Flora Zambesiaca region are noted, firstly for species previously known from countries in southern or eastern Africa and then for species previously known from countries across the continent. For each list, taxa are ordered by family and then by genus.

Species new to the Flora Zambesiaca region

Bothriocline glomerata (O. Hoffm. & Muschl.) C. Jeffrey (Compositae)

distribution. A wet forest understorey shrub previously known from Kenya and Tanzania. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Patel 7419) and Mt Mabu (Harris 675), Mozambique.

Pollia condensata C. B. Clarke (Commelinaceae)

distribution. A wet forest understorey herb previously known from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, D. R. Congo, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, N Tanzania and N Angola. Now collected from Mt Chiperone (Harris 22) and Mt Mabu (Harris 576), Mozambique.

Crotongynopsis usambarica Pax (Euphorbiaceae)

distribution. A rare wet forest understorey shrub previously known from scattered localities in Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, D. R. Congo, Uganda and Tanzania. Now collected from Mt Mabu (Harris 649), Mozambique.

Helixanthera verruculosa Wiens & Polhill (Loranthaceae)

distribution. A parasite from upland rainforest previously known from the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Congdon 756), Mozambique.

Xyris peteri Poelln. (Xyridaceae)

distribution. A perennial herb from upland swamp and grassland previously known from Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Harris 318), Mozambique.

Range extensions within the Flora Zambesiaca region

1) Southern or eastern African taxa collected in Mozambique for the first time

Asystasia malawiana Brummitt & Chisumpa (Acanthaceae)

distribution. Known from S Tanzania and C and S Malawi. It is known from rather few collections. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Timberlake 5292) and Mt Mabu (Mphamba 122), Mozambique.

Justicia asystasioides (Lindau) M. E. Steiner (Acanthaceae)

distribution. Known from Tanzania and N Malawi. Now collected from Mt Mabu (Harris 617), Mozambique where it was common in the forest understorey.

Kniphofia splendida E. A. Bruce (Asphodelaceae)

distribution. Known from Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa and Swaziland. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Harris 204), Mozambique.

Corrigiola drymarioides Baker f. (Caryophyllaceae)

distribution. Known from Tanzania, E Zimbabwe and S Malawi. Now collected from Mt Mabu (Timberlake 5430), Mozambique.

Crassula globularioides Britten (Crassulaceae)

distribution. Known from Malawi. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Mphamba 15), Mozambique.

Eriocaulon zambesiense Ruhland (Eriocaulaceae)

distribution. Known from Burundi and Malawi. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Mphamba 25), Mozambique.

Drypetes gerrardii Hutch. var. grandifolia Radcl.-Sm. (Euphorbiaceae)

distribution. Known from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Angola. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Timberlake 5047), Mozambique.

note. The validity of this variety is questionable in view of intermediate specimens from Mt Mabu.

Kotschya recurvifolia (Taub.) F. White subsp. recurvifolia (Leguminosae)

distribution. Known from Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Timberlake 5071) and Mt Mabu (Timberlake 5424), Mozambique.

Englerina kwaiensis (Engl.) Polhill & Wiens (Loranthaceae)

distribution. Known from Tanzania and Malawi. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Chapama 10), Mozambique.

Erianthemum schelei Tiegh. (Loranthaceae)

distribution. Known from Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Harris 254), Mozambique.

Jumellea usambarensis J. J. Wood (Orchidaceae)

distribution. Known from Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Timberlake 5266), Mozambique.

Panicum wiehei Renvoize (Poaceae)

distribution. Known from Malawi. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Harris 262), Mozambique.

Rubus chapmanianus Kupicha (Rosaceae)

distribution. Known from Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Harris 340), Mozambique.

Viscum cylindricum Polhill & Wiens (Viscaceae)

distribution. Known from Malawi and SE Tanzania. Now collected from Mt Mabu (Harris 662), Mozambique.

2) Widespread taxa collected in Mozambique for the first time

Brachystephanus africanus S. Moore (Acanthaceae)

distribution. Known from E Nigeria, D. R. Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, E Tanzania, Malawi and E Zimbabwe. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Mphamba 18) and Mt Mabu (Harris 678), Mozambique.

Cyperus amauropus Steud. (Cyperaceae)

distribution. Known from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. Now collected from Mt Chiperone (Harris 134), Mozambique.

Erica silvatica (Engl.) Beentje (Ericaceae)

distribution. Known from Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Angola. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Patel 7387), Mozambique.

Abrus melanospermus Hassk. subsp. suffruticosus (Boutique) D. K. Harder (Leguminosae)

distribution. Known from Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Central African Republic, D. R. Congo, Burundi, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Angola. Now collected from Mt Chiperone (Harris 52), Mozambique.

Argyrolobium rupestre (E. Mey.) Walp. subsp aberdaricum (Harms) Polhill (Leguminosae)

distribution. Known from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Harris 423), Mozambique.

Cyrtorchis arcuata (Lindl.) Schltr. subsp. whytei (Rolfe) Summerh. (Orchidaceae)

distribution. Known from Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire,  Ghana, Togo, D. R. Congo, Kenya, Zanzibar, Zambia and Malawi. Now collected from Mt Chiperone (Timberlake s.n.), Mozambique.

Epipactis africana Rendle (Orchidaceae)

distribution. Known from Ethiopia, D. R. Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi. Now collected from Mt Namuli, (Timberlake s.n.) Mozambique.

Polystachya transvaalensis Schltr. (Orchidaceae)

distribution. Known from D. R. Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Africa. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Timberlake 5206), Mozambique.

Roeperocharis bennettiana Rchb. f. (Orchidaceae)

distribution. Known from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Harris 181), Mozambique.

Restio mahonii (N. E. Br.) Pillans subsp. mahonii (Restionaceae)

distribution. Known from Congo, Tanzania, Malawi and Madagascar. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Patel 7332), Mozambique.

Laportea alatipes Hook. f. (Urticaceae)

distribution. Known from Ethiopia, Cameroon, Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Africa. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Harris 442), Mozambique.

Pilea rivularis Wedd. (Urticaceae)

distribution. Known from Nigeria, Cameroon, Bioko, Sudan, Ethiopia, D. R. Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa and Madagascar. Now collected from Mt Namuli (Patel 7336), Mozambique.

Range Extensions of taxa previously thought to be ‘Mountain Endemics’

Taxa are sometimes regarded as endemic to particular mountains until there is evidence of their distribution stretching further afield. New records within Mozambique have led to a re-evaluation of some mountain endemics from Mt Mulanje, Malawi and Mt Namuli, Mozambique. Here we present evidence of six taxa being more widely distributed than previously thought, resulting in the conservation assessments of two of these taxa needing to be downgraded and one to be assessed for the first time. Prior to this fieldwork, it was thought that Mt Namuli, Mozambique had eleven spermatophyte taxa found only on that mountain (Table 1a & c), while on Mt Mulanje 71 spermatophyte mountain endemics were recognised (Strugnell 2006). Five of the taxa previously thought to be endemic to Mt Mulanje have been found on Mt Namuli during this project (Table 1b.). Sclerochiton hirsutus Vollesen was previously regarded as endemic to Mt Namuli (Vollesen 1991). It has now been collected from Mt Mabu.

Table 1. Taxa restricted in distribution to one or two mountains. Shows whether taxa were collected from Mt Namuli as part of this project and the taxa’s previous and most recent conservation assessment. b and c show six taxa previously thought to be mountain endemics but whose known distribution has been expanded as a result of this project.
Full size table

Conclusions

The relatively large number of range extensions can be considered as evidence of the lack of collection historically undertaken in Mozambique and particularly in this region when compared to the level of collection undertaken in areas of Malawi and Tanzania. There is a need for more collection in northern-central Mozambique. Future collection from other mountains in the region would be expected to result in additional range extensions and potentially a similar number of new species to be described. Most new records came from Mt Namuli, as did two of the three new species. The 13 taxa from these mountains that we assess as threatened clearly show that such montane localities are of conservation interest.