Abstract
Background: Thesium L. is the largest genus in the family Santalaceae (sandalwood family). The last taxonomic revision of the southern African species dates back to 1925. An urgent revision of the genus is required as indicated in a recent national biosystematics research strategy for South Africa.Objectives: To revise the Thesium confine species complex (Thesium durum, T. confine and Thesium spartioides) and to update the typification, nomenclature, descriptions and distribution ranges.Method: Morphological characters were studied using own field collections as well as herbarium specimens from K, NU, PRE and PRU and images on Global Plants (JSTOR). Distribution ranges of the studied species were updated.Results: An examination of morphological characters revealed great similarity between T. spartioides and T. confine. Both species have an herbaceous habit, decumbent growth form, terminal (or less frequently axillary) inflorescences and a sympatric northern distribution in South Africa. Thesium durum differs from T. spartioides and T. confine in having a shrubby habit, erect growth form and axillary inflorescences and occurs in the southern part of South Africa.Conclusion: Thesium spartioides is synonymised under T. confine, and T. durum is retained as a separate species.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
T. spartioides and T. confine showed great morphological similarity.
- Taxon
- T. spartioidesThesium spartioidese0
- Outcome
- great similaritye0
Verbatim
e0“An examination of morphological characters revealed great similarity between T. spartioides and T. confine.”
Claim · model-written summary
T. spartioides and T. confine share an herbaceous, decumbent form, terminal or occasional axillary inflorescences and northern South African distribution.
- Taxon
- Thesium confine species complex
Thesium confinet0 - Outcome
- herbaceous habit, decumbent growth form, terminal (or less frequently axillary) inflorescencese0
- Setting
- South Africae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both species have an herbaceous habit, decumbent growth form, terminal (or less frequently axillary) inflorescences and a sympatric northern distribution in South Africa.”
t0“Thesium confine species complex”
Claim · model-written summary
T. durum differs in shrubby erect form and axillary inflorescences and occurs in southern South Africa.
- Taxon
- Thesium durumThesium durume0
- Outcome
- shrubby habit, erect growth form and axillary inflorescencese0
- Setting
- South Africae0
Verbatim
e0“Thesium durum differs from T. spartioides and T. confine in having a shrubby habit, erect growth form and axillary inflorescences and occurs in the southern part of South Africa.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors synonymised Thesium spartioides under T. confine.
- Taxon
- Thesium spartioidesThesium spartioidese0
- Outcome
- synonymised under T. confinee0
Verbatim
e0“Thesium spartioides is synonymised under T. confine”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors retained T. durum as a separate species.
- Taxon
- T. durumThesium durume0
- Outcome
- retained as a separate speciese0
Verbatim
e0“T. durum is retained as a separate species”