Kanahia laniflora (Forssk.) R.Br., Voy. Abyss. App.: Ixiv (1814)

Kuetegue, Felix, Sonke, Bonaventure & Ameka, Gabriel K., 2019, A checklist of rheophytes of Cameroon, PhytoKeys 121, pp. 81-131 : 81

Kanahia laniflora (Forssk.) R.Br., Voy. Abyss. App.: Ixiv (1814)

Asclepias coarctata S.More, J. Bot. 46: 297 (1908)

Asclepias fluviatilis A.Chev., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 61(8): 271 (1917)

Asclepias laniflora Forssk., Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 51 (1775)

Asclepias rivalis S.More, J. Bot. 52: 337 (1914)

Gomphocarpus glaberrimus Oliv., Trans. Linn. Soc. London 29(3): 110 (1875)

Kanahia consimilis N.E.Br., Fl. Trop. Afr. 4(1.2): 298 (1902)

Kanahia glaberrima (Oliv.) N.E.Br., Fl. Trop. Afr. 4(1.2): 297 (1902)

Type.

Cameroon, G. L. Bates 322 (lectotype: K, K000234855).

Description.

Erect woody shrub, up to 2 m high; leaves linear-lanceolate 4-15 × 0.5-1.0 cm, glabrous; inflorescence axillary, one per node between leaf bases; flowers creamy white.

Specimens examined.

Dibombe River, 4°41'N, 9°48'E, 16 Mar 1965, A. J. M. Leeuwenberg 9708 (YA); bank of UVE River, 20 km northwest of Kumba, 20 Mar 1976, R. Letouzey 38378 (YA); Mundemba, on Ndian (Mana) River, 4°58'N, 8°51'E, 09 Dec 1983, D. W. Thomas 2656 (YA); Ntale, bank and bed of Mbier River, 10 Dec 2010, F. Kuetegue 272, 273 (YA).

Habitat.

Rocky or sandy riverbeds and by seasonal rivers, in wet evergreen and semi-deciduous rainforests to deserts.

Distribution.

Benin, Cameroon (Fig. 7 ), Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, and Sudan.

Conservation status in Cameroon.

Kanahia laniflora was not assessed by Onana and Cheek (2011). It is listed on http://www.redlist.org as Least Concern (LC) by Lansdown (2013). This is because the species, globally, is believed to be widespread and abundant throughout much of its known distribution area. The species is distributed from Saudi Arabia and Yemen, through Ethiopia and Somalia to Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa. The extent of occurrence of K. laniflora in Cameroon is about 78,700 km2; and area of occupancy of the species is about 32 km2. The taxon is currently known from 8 localities in the country. The localities where the species is found are proposed for timber exploitation and plantation development. Based on these threats and the progressive destruction of the vegetation in the localities, extent and/or quality of the habitats, the species is here assessed, as Vulnerable. IUCN Red List Category: Vulnerable VUB2ab (ii, iii).

Figures

Figures 2 - 10. 2 Bolbitis fluviatilis (Hook.) Ching 3 Bolbitis heudelotii (Bory ex Fee) Alston 4 Lepidagathis alopecuroides R. Br. ex Griseb. 5 Achyranthes talbotii Hutch & Daziel 6 Crinum natans Baker 7 Kanahia laniflora (Forssk.) R. Br. 8 Anubias barteri Schott 9 Cyperus rheophyticus Lye 10 Cyperus tonkinensis C. B. Clarke var. baikiei (C. B. Clarke ex Kuk) S. S. Hooper.