Register      Login
Australian Systematic Botany Australian Systematic Botany Society
Taxonomy, biogeography and evolution of plants
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > SB > SB08033
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 21(6)

A taxonomic revision of the genus Rothia (Crotalarieae, Fabaceae)

J. S. Boatwright A B , P. M. Tilney A and B.-E. van Wyk A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa.

B Corresponding author. Email: jsboatwright@hotmail.com

Australian Systematic Botany 21(6) 422-430 https://doi.org/10.1071/SB08033
Submitted: 24 July 2008  Accepted: 27 October 2008   Published: 23 December 2008

Abstract

Rothia Pers. is a genus of papilionoid legumes that consists of two species, R. indica (L.) Druce and R. hirsuta (Guill. & Perr.) Baker. The genus is a member of the tribe Crotalarieae and is widely distributed in Africa, Asia and Australia. Recent molecular systematic studies have shown the genus to be closely related to Robynsiophyton Wilczek and Pearsonia Dümmer; however, it is easily distinguished from these by its 10 small, rounded anthers and subequally lobed calyx (as opposed to the large, elongate anthers of Pearsonia or the 9 stamens of Robynsiophyton). These three genera share characters such as uniform anthers, straight styles and the presence of angelate esters of lupanine-type alkaloids. Leaf and fruit anatomy of Rothia and Robynsiophyton were also studied but revealed no informative differences. Both genera have dorsiventral leaves with mucilage cells in the epidermis and thin-walled fruits. A taxonomic revision of Rothia is presented, including a key to the species, correct nomenclature, descriptions, illustrations and distribution maps.


Acknowledgements

The National Research Foundation (NRF) and University of Johannesburg are thanked for financial support. The curators and staff of the listed herbaria are thanked for making specimens available for loan or study. Lorna Ngugi (Queensland Herbarium, Australia) is thanked for supplying digital images of the type specimen of Rothia indica subsp. australis and Dr J.-N. Labat (Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle) for images of the type specimen of R. hirsuta. Hester Steyn (National Herbarium, Pretoria) kindly provided the map of Asia and Australia.


References


Bairiganjan GC, Patnaik SN (1989) Chromosomal evolution in Fabaceae. Cytologia 54, 54–64. open url image1

Baker EG (1926) ‘The Leguminosae of tropical Africa. 1’ (Erasmus Press: Ghent, Belgium)

Boatwright JS, Savolainen V, Van Wyk B-E, Schutte-Vlok AL, Forest F, Van der Bank M (2008a) Systematic position of the anomalous genus Cadia and the phylogeny of the tribe Podalyrieae (Fabaceae). Systematic Botany 33, 133–147.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Boatwright JS, Le Roux MM, Wink M, Morozova T, Van Wyk B-E (2008b) Phylogenetic relationships of the tribe Crotalarieae (Fabaceae) inferred from DNA sequences and morphology. Systematic Botany 33, 752–761.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Chen T, Li Z (1997) Rothia, a newly recorded genus of Leguminosae from China. Journal of Tropical and Subtropical Botany 5, 11–16. open url image1

Crisp MD , Gilmore S , Van Wyk B-E (2000). Molecular phylogeny of the genistoid tribes of papilionoid legumes. In ‘Advances in legume systematics 9’. (Eds PS Herendeen, A Bruneau) pp. 249–276. (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: London)

Feder N, O’Brien TP (1968) Plant microtechnique: some principles and new methods. American Journal of Botany 55, 123–142.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Goldblatt P (1981) Cytology and the phylogeny of Leguminosae. In ‘Advances in legume systematics 1’. (Eds RM Polhill, PH Raven) pp. 427–463. (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: London)

Gregory M, Baas P (1989) A survey of mucilage cells in vegetative organs of the dicotyledons. Israel Journal of Botany 38, 125–174. open url image1

Hepper FN (1958) Papilionoideae. In ‘Flora of west tropical Africa’. (Ed. RWJ Keay) pp. 543–544. (Crown Agents: London)

Holland AE (1997) Rothia indica subsp. australis A.E.Holland (Fabaceae: Crotalarieae), a new subspecies occurring in Australia. Austrobaileya 5, 93–96. open url image1

Holmgren PK , Holmgren NH , Barnett LC (Eds) (1990) ‘Index Herbariorum. Part I: the herbaria of the world.’ 8th edn. Regnum Vegetabile Vol. 120. 704 pp. (Botanical Garden Press: New York)

Hussain RA, Kinghorn AD, Molyneux RJ (1988) Alkaloids of Rothia trifoliata and Rothia hirsuta. Journal of Natural Products 51, 809–811.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Milne-Redhead E (1971) Rothia. In ‘Flora of tropical east Africa’. (Eds JB Gillett, RM Polhill, B Verdcourt) pp. 811. (Crown Agents: London)

Polhill RM (1974) A revision of Pearsonia (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae). Kew Bulletin 29, 383–410.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Polhill RM (1976) Genisteae (Adans.) Benth. and related tribes (Leguminosae). Botanical Systematics 1, 143–368. open url image1

Polhill RM (2003) Rothia. In ‘Flora Zambesiaca 3’. (Eds GV Pope, RM Polhill, ES Martins) p. 64. (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: London)

Rudd VE (1991) Fabaceae. In ‘A revised handbook of the flora of Ceylon, 7’. (Eds MD Dassanayake, FR Fosberg) pp. 184–185. (Amerind Publishing: New Delhi)

Stafleu FA , Cowan RS (1983) ‘Taxonomic literature vol 4: P–Sak.’ 2nd edn. (Bohn, Scheltema & Holkema: Utrecht, The Netherlands)

Van Wyk B-E (1991a) A review of the tribe Crotalarieae (Fabaceae). Contributions from the Bolus Herbarium 13, 265–288. open url image1

Van Wyk B-E (1991b) A synopsis of the genus Lotononis (Fabaceae: Crotalarieae). Contributions from the Bolus Herbarium 14, 1–292. open url image1

Van Wyk B-E (2003) The value of chemosystematics in clarifying relationships in the genistoid tribes of papilionoid legumes. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 31, 875–884.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Van Wyk B-E (2005) Crotalarieae. In ‘Legumes of the World’. (Eds G Lewis, B Schrire, B Mackinder, M Lock) pp. 273–281. (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: London)

Van Wyk B-E , Schutte AL (1995) Phylogenetic relationships in the tribes Podalyrieae, Liparieae and Crotalarieae. In ‘Advances in legume systematics 7: phylogeny’. (Eds M Crisp, JJ Doyle) pp. 283–308. (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: London)

Van Wyk B-E, Verdoorn GH (1989) Chemotaxonomic significance of alkaloids in the genus Pearsonia. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 17, 391–394.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Van Wyk B-E, Verdoorn GH (1990) Alkaloids as taxonomic characters in the tribe Crotalarieae (Fabaceae). Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 18, 503–515.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Van Wyk B-E, Verdoorn GH (1991) Chemotaxonomic significance of alkaloids in the genus Robynsiophyton. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 19, 681–683.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1