Summary
A new species of Dioscorea from South Africa, D. strydomiana Wilkin, is described and illustrated. It differs from the related species D. elephantipes (L’Hér.) Engl., D. hemicrypta Burkill and D. sylvatica Eckl. in its tuber surface, leaf morphology, texture and habit, male flower tepal, filament and pistillode size, the length of the stipe between the ovary apex and the torus in female flowers and in capsule shape. Just two populations and c. 200 individuals in total exist, and significant threats have been reported, making D. strydomiana critically endangered. Thus its conservation and sustainable use are discussed.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Johan Hurter, who provided much information on and many photographs of the morphology, habitat, ecology and conservation of Dioscorea strydomiana. Odile Weber and Melanie Thomas translated the Latin diagnosis and Simon Mayo assisted through discussions of species and their delimitation and with PAST. Mervyn Lotter, Tommie Steyn, Karin van der Walt and Andrew Hankey provided information on the conservation and sustainable use of D. strydomiana.
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Wilkin, P., Burrows, J., Burrows, S. et al. A critically endangered new species of yam (Dioscorea strydomiana Wilkin, Dioscoreaceae) from Mpumalanga, South Africa. Kew Bull 65, 421–433 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-010-9227-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-010-9227-y