The South African species of Teucrium ( Lamiaceae )

While writing up the three South African species o f Teucrium for the Flora o f Southern Africa it became necessary to replace two well-known names as follows: T. trifidum Retz. (1779) ( = 7 ’. capense Thunb., 1800) and T. kraussii Codd { —T. riparium Hochst., 1845, non Rafin., 1838).

Found under fairly arid conditions in macchia, karoo, coastal or thorn scrub from Bredasdorp to near Grahamstown and, inland, to Middelburg and Graaff Reinet.
upper third of the stem; flowers usually in 3-7flowered pedunculate cymes, rarely solitary; peduncles 5-20 (25) mm long, usually longer than the internodes.Common in the central and south-western Transvaal, apparently not extending beyond the Soutpansberg, but extending westwards to the northern Cape Province and just entering Botswana, southwards to northern Natal, central Orange Free State and eastern Cape Province, reaching its south westerly limit about Humansdorp.Characteristically found in dry woodland where it is often gregarious under thorn trees or in bush groups, particularly on overgrazed or disturbed places.
The leaves of S. trifidum vary considerably from lanceolate and almost entire to deeply 3-5-partite.It overlaps with T. africanum in the southern Cape from about Grahamstown inland to Queenstown and occasional specimens, from the latter area particularly, may be difficult to place with certainty.T. africanum can usually be separated on the basis of the shorter stature, rarely exceeding 30 cm tall, and the usually solitary flowers on short peduncles.In the northern Cape, under semi-arid conditions, T. trifidum tends to produce plants shorter than usual with somewhat shorter, but 3-flowered, peduncles.These have often in the past been identified as T. africanum, e.g. in Wilman, Checklist Griq.W. 231 (1946), but their affinity lies with T. trifidum.
In eastern Cape, about Komga, T. trifidum overlaps with T. kraussii and here again occasional specimens may need careful study to be sure of their identity.In such cases, specimens of T. trifidum with subentire leaves can be recognized by the leaves being some what smaller and greyish-green, as against the longer and broader leaves of T. kraussii, which tend to dry dark brown.
As mentioned under the previous species, the names T. trifidum Retz.(1779) and T. trifidum Wendl.(1798) were tentatively included in T. africanum by earlier authors.The type of T. trifidum Retz. is present in the Retzius Herbarium, Lund, and was kindly sent on loan to me by the Curator, Dr Ove Almborn, whose assistance is gratefully acknowledged.This was examined in relation to the two names published by Thunberg in 1800, T. africanum Thunb.and T. capense Thunb.

BOTANMSKA MCSlfcT LUND
The type sheet, annotated as Teucrium trifidum N. by Retzius on the reverse side, has two specimens mounted on it (see Fig. 1).The left-hand specimen corresponds with T. africanum Thunb.and the righthand specimen with T. capense Thunb.It is, therefore, necessary to scrutinise the protologue carefully and a copy of the significant parts is given below: The epithet trifidum would apply more correctly to the left-hand specimen, but the short diagnosis is applicable mainly to the right-hand specimen.The rest of the protologue describes the significant characteristics of the right-hand specimen, eg.: "Caulis . . .ramosus . ."Folia lanceolata, majora lobo, minora dente utrinque acuto inciso, ceterum integra . ."Pedunculi . . .triflori, longitudine internodiorum."In fact no mention is made of the characters exclusive to the left-hand specimen (the deeply trifid leaves and single flowers on short peduncles), while all the characteristics mentioned above apply exclusively to the right-hand specimen.
There is thus nothing in the description to compel one to the view that it is based on a mixture of the two specimens but, assuming that Retzius had both before him, it is considered advisable to make the right-hand specimen the lectotype.This means that T. capense Thunb.goes into synonymy.
One may speculate how the specimens were acquired by Bladh, who was a "supercargo" in the Swedish East Indian Company from 1766 to 1784 and sent plants from China, Indian and South Africa to several Swedish botanists.He is not known to have travelled at all in South Africa, but might have obtained specimens from Thunberg, who had under taken an expedition together with Masson in 1773-74 to the Sundays River area, where both species are found.
T. trifidum Wendl. is an illegitimate homonym.No specimen is cited but the description suggests that it is conspecific with T. trifidum Retz.
3. An erect soft undershrub 50-110 cm tall, branching from the base; stems simple below, branched in the upper half or third, softly woody below, herbaceous above, finely to fairly densely tomentose, usually with spreading hairs.Leaves narrowly lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, 2,5-6 cm long, remotely 1-few toothed towards the apex or entire, subglabrous or sparingly hispidulous above, sparingly to fairly densely hispid and minutely gland-dotted below; apex obtuse to acute, base narrowly cuneate.Inflorescence a leafy panicle occupying the upper third of the stem, often diffusely branched; flowers in 2-7-flowered pedunculate cymes; peduncles 6-20 mm long, usually longer than the internodes.
Distributed from Swaziland through semi-coastal and midland Natal to King William's Town district in the Cape, in open bush and grassland.
T. kraussii overlaps with T. trifidum in the eastern Cape Province and occasional intermediate specimens may be difficult to place with certainty.The main distinguishing characters are discussed under T. trifidum.

Research Institute, Department of Agricultural Technical Services, Private Bag X101, Pretoria.
* Botanical