428 



MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN [Vol. 8, No. 5 



Brachystegia spiciformis Benth. Trans. Linn. Soc. 25: 312. 1866; Burtt Davy & 



Hutch. Kew Bull. 1923: 159. 1923; Bak. f. Leg. Trop. Afr. 727. 1930. 

 Brachystegia appendiculata Benth. Trans. Linn. Soc. 25: 313. pi. 42. 1866; Oliv. Fl. 



Trop. Afr. 2: 305. 1871; Burtt Davy & Hutch. Kew Bull. 1923: 162. 1923; Bak. f. 



Leg. Trop. Afr. 728. 1930; P. Topham, Kew Bull. 1930: 364. 1930. 

 Brachystegia randii Bak. f. Jour. Bot. 37: 433. 1899; Leg. Trop. Afr. 727. 1930; Burtt 



Davy & Hutch. Kew Bull. 1923: 160. 1923; P. Topham, Kew Bull. 1930: 360. 1930. 

 Brachystegia bragaei Harms. Bot. Jahrb. 30: 82. 1901; Burtt Davy & Hutch. Kew Bull. 



1923: 161. 1923; Bak. f. Leg. Trop. Afr. 726. 1930; P. Topham, Kew Bull. 1930: 



359. 1930. 



Brachystegia hockii De Wild. Repert. Sp. Nov. 11: 512. 1913; Burtt Davy & Hutch. 



Kew Bull. 1923: 159. 1923; P. Topham, Kew Bull. 1930: 362. 1930. 

 Brachystegia cdulis Hutch. & Burtt Davy, Kew Bull. 1923: 162. 1923; Bak. f. Leg. 



Trop. Afr. 727. 1930; P. Topham, Kew Bull. 1930: 361. 1930. 



Zomba District: Zomba Plateau, one of the chief trees of the open woodlands, 

 tree up to about 10 m. high, leaves more or less concave, rather dull above, shin- 

 ing below, flower not seen, [in fruit,] 1500 m., June 4, 1946, 16220. Kota-kota 

 District: Nchisi Mountain, in Brachystegia woodland of lower slopes, not common, 

 tree 8-12 m. high, 20— 30 cm. in diameter, bark rough, dark grey, inner bark yellow- 

 ish, branches spreading into a wide, flattish crown, fruit immature, 1350 m., Aug. 

 2, 1946, 17103; ibid., prevailing tree of the woodlands — often the only tree pres- 

 ent, tree 3-15 m. tall, to 40 cm. in diameter, bark rough, grey, reddish when cut, 

 branches forming a flattish to very flat spreading crown, leaves pale green, native 

 name (Chinyanja) mchenga [in fruit], 1400 m., Aug. 4, 1946, 17126. Kenya to S. 

 Rhodesia, Portuguese East Africa, and Angola, and intermediate countries. 



This, the most widespread and variable species, is also the one on which 

 Bentham based his genus, using very scanty material. There are innumerable 

 varieties and forms, the specimens cited above representing pubescent forms al- 

 lied respectively to the originals of B. appendiculata (Brass 16220, 17126) and 

 B. hockii (Brass 17103), which are both regarded as conspecific with B. spici' 

 formis. The synonymy given is confined to what seems appropriate to major Nya- 

 saland citations of the genus, and represents only a fragment of the total, 



Brachystegia taxifolia Harms, Bot. Jahrb. 33: 155. 1902; Burtt Davy & Hutch. 

 Kew Bull. 1923: 153. 1923; Bak. f. Leg. Trop. Afr. 717. 1930; Hoyle, Fl. 

 Congo Beige 3: 480. 1952. 

 Brachystegia mimosifolia Hutch. & Burtt Davy, Kew Bull. 1923: 153. 1923; Bak. f. 

 Leg. Trop. Afr. 717. 1930; P. Topham, Kew Bull. 1930 : 353. 1930, 



Mombera District: 40 miles north of Mzimba, dominant in sandy woodlands, 

 tree 8-10 m. high, branches horizontal, spreading into a flattish crown, [in fruit,] 

 1350 m., Aug. 9, 1946, 17143. Mombera or Kasungu District (?): North Road be- 

 tween Mzimba and Kasungu, dominant on infertile, greyish sandy soil, tree 5-10 

 m. high, branches horizontal, forming a flat crown, young leaves reddish-brown, 

 flowers green, filaments white, [flower and fruit,] 1200 m., Aug. 23, 1946, 17385. 

 S. Tanganyika, Belgian Congo, N. Rhodesia, and Nyasaland. 



This species has a relatively limited distribution and varies little except in 

 hairiness. It is interesting because of its evergreen or near-evergreen habit, 

 shown well by Brass 17385 which retains numerous old leaves with the new fo- 

 liage and flowers. There is strong circumstantial evidence from recent field ob- 

 servations and collections by Mr. J. P. M. Brenan in N. Rhodesia that hybrids 

 occur (both locally and botanically) between this species and B. boehmii. 



Brachystegia utilis Hutch. & Bum Davy, Kew Bull. 1923: 155. 1923; Bak. f. Leg. 

 Trop. Afr. 725. 1930; P. Topham, Kew Bull. 1930: 359. 1930, Angola cita- 

 tions excluded; Hoyle, Fl. Congo Beige 3: 468. 1952. 

 Kota-kota District: Chia area, common in sandy woodlands of lake-plain, tree 



to 20 m. high, to 50 cm. in diameter, outer bark rough, inner red, leaves greyish 



