Baphia

Baphia is a small genus of legumes that bear simple leaves. Baphia is from the Greek word βάπτω (báptō-, "to dip" or "to dye"), referring to a red dye that is extracted from the heartwood of tropical species. The genus is restricted to the African tropics. Baphia was traditionally assigned to the tribe Sophoreae; however, recent molecular phylogenetic analyses reassigned Baphia to the tribe Baphieae.

Species

Baphia comprises the following species:

Section Alata <small>M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia cordifolia <small>Harms</small>

Section Baphia <small>Lodd.</small>

Series Baphia <small>Lodd.</small>

• Baphia abyssinica <small>Brummitt</small>

• Baphia dewevrei <small>De Wild.</small>
• Baphia dewildeana <small>M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia latiloi <small>M.O.Soladoye</small>
• Baphia laurifolia <small>Baillon</small>
• Baphia longipedicellata <small>De Wild.</small>
• subsp. keniensis <small>(Brummitt) M.O.Soladoye</small>
• subsp. longipedicellata <small>De Wild.</small>
• Baphia mambillensis <small>M.O.Soladoye</small>
• Baphia marceliana <small>De Wild.</small>
• subsp. marceliana <small>De Wild.</small>
• subsp. marquesii <small>(M.Exell) M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia nitida <small>Lodd.</small> (Camwood)

• Baphia pauloi <small>Brummitt</small>

• Baphia pubescens <small>Hook.f.</small>
• Baphia puguensis <small>Brummitt</small>
• Baphia punctulata <small>Harms</small>
• subsp. descampsii <small>(De Wild.) M.O.Soladoye</small>
• subsp. palmensis <small>M.O.Soladoye</small>
• subsp. punctulata <small>Harms</small>

Series Contiguinae <small>M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia angolensis <small>Baker</small>

• Baphia brachybotrys <small>Harms</small>
• Baphia breteleriana <small>M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia buettneri <small>Harms</small>
• subsp. buettneri <small>Harms</small>
• subsp. hylophila <small>(Harms) M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia gossweileri <small>Baker f.</small>

• Baphia incerta <small>De Wild.</small>
• subsp. incerta <small>De Wild.</small>
• subsp. lebrunii <small>(L.Touss.) M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia leptostemma <small>Baillon</small>
• subsp. gracilipes <small>(Harms) M.O.Soladoye</small>
• var. gracilipes <small>(Harms) M.O.Soladoye</small>
• var. conraui <small>(Harms) M.O.Soladoye</small>
• subsp. leptostemma <small>Baillon</small>

• Baphia preussii <small>Harms</small>
• Baphia obanensis <small>Baker f.</small>

• Baphia wollastonii <small>Baker f.</small>

Series Spathaceae <small>M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia eriocalyx <small>Harms</small>
• Baphia spathacea <small>Hook.f.</small>
• subsp. polyantha <small>(Harms) M.O.Soladoye</small>
• subsp. spathacea <small>Hook.f.</small>

Section Bracteolaria <small>(Hochst.) Benth.</small>

• Baphia aurivellera <small>Taubert</small>

• Baphia capparidifolia <small>Baker</small>
• subsp. bangweolensis <small>(R.E.Fries) Brummitt</small>
• subsp. capparidifolia <small>Baker</small>
• subsp. multiflora <small>(Harms) Brummitt</small>
• subsp. polygalacea <small>Brummitt</small>
• Baphia dubia <small>De Wild.</small>

• Baphia heudelotiana <small>Baillon</small>
• Baphia kirkii <small>Baker</small>
• subsp. kirkii <small>Baker</small>
• subsp. ovata <small>(Sim) M.O.Soladoye</small>
• Baphia laurentii <small>De Wild.</small>

Section Longibracteolatae <small>(Lester-Garland) M.O.Soladoye</small>

Series Chrysophyllae <small>M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia burttii <small>Baker f.</small>

• Baphia chrysophylla <small>Taubert</small>
• subsp. chrysophylla <small>Taubert</small>
• subsp. claessensii <small>(De Wild.) Brummitt</small>

• Baphia cuspidata <small>Taubert</small>

• Baphia massaiensis <small>Taubert</small>
• subsp. busseana <small>(Harms) M.O.Soladoye</small>
• subsp. floribunda <small>Brummitt</small>
• subsp. gomesii <small>(Baker f.) Brummitt</small>
• subsp. massaiensis <small>Taubert</small>
• subsp. obovata <small>(Schinz) Brummitt</small>
• var. cornifolia <small>(Harms) M.O.Soladoye</small>
• var. obovata <small>(Schinz) M.O.Soladoye</small>
• var. whitei <small>(Brummitt) M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia speciosa <small>J.B.Gillett & Brummitt</small>

Series Macranthae <small>M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia bequaertii <small>De Wild.</small>

• Baphia letestui <small>Pellegrin</small>

• Baphia maxima <small>Baker</small>

Series Striatae <small>(Lester Garland) M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia leptobotrys <small>Harms</small>
• subsp. leptobotrys <small>Harms</small>
• subsp. silvatica <small>(Harms) M.O.Soladoye</small>
• Baphia pilosa <small>Baillon</small>
• subsp. batangensis <small>(Harms) M.O.Soladoye</small>
• subsp. pilosa <small>Baillon</small>

Section Macrobaphia <small>Harms emend. M.O.Soladoye</small>

• Baphia bergeri <small>De Wild.</small>
• Baphia macrocalyx <small>Harms</small>

• Baphia semseiana <small>Brummitt</small>

Incertae sedis

• Baphia cymosa <small>Breteler</small>
• Baphia madagascariensis <small>(A.Heller) A.Heller</small>

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved:

• Baphia glauca <small>A. Chev.</small>
• Baphia longepetiolata <small>Taub.</small>
• Baphia madagascariensis <small>C.H. Stirt. & Du Puy</small>
• Baphia megaphylla <small>Breteler</small>
• Baphia radcliffei <small>Baker f.</small>

In 2023, a new species, Baphia arenicola was discovered growing in the deep sandy highland region of central Angola, part of the Kalahari sands, and was formally described to science. The floral characters most morphologically similar to Baphia&nbsp;massaiensis but with certain characters also comparable to Baphia bequaertii, with all three species found growing in the same region. Preliminary molecular analysis places the new taxon close to Baphia bequaertii. Whilst most Baphia form above ground shrubs and trees, Baphia arenicola grows as a geoxylic suffrutex (often described as "underground trees") with most of its woody tissue growing buried deep within the sand and its flowering parts just above ground level.

References