Two new records of flowering plants from Lesotho

Abstract

Background: A number of books, articles and checklists have been published on Lesotho’s flora. The species presented here have been recorded for South Africa but have not previously been recorded for Lesotho. Objectives: As part of a study aimed at updating biodiversity records of the southern parts of Lesotho (Qacha’s Nek and Quthing districts), with the main focus of compiling a checklist for the Sehlabethebe National Park, this report presents plant species that have until now not been recorded for the Lesotho flora. Method: Several field trips were undertaken between 2004 and 2009. Plant identification was done based on observation and photographic records. After the compilation of the checklist, it became clear that two of the species observed had not been previously recorded for Lesotho. A follow-up trip was carried out in February 2016, during which plant specimens of the presumed new records were collected and deposited at the National University of Lesotho Herbarium (ROML) [and the University of Johannesburg Herbarium (JRAU)]. Plant identification was confirmed by experts in the family Apocynaceae. Results: Two species not previously recorded for Lesotho, namely Ceropegia africana subsp. barklyi and Duvalia caespitosa subsp. caespitosa, were found during the exploration of the southern parts of Lesotho which included the Sehlabathebe National Park. Conclusions: The fact that two species have been recorded in Lesotho for the first time clearly indicates that documentation of the flora of Lesotho needs to be updated. This work is therefore regarded as complementary to previous publications on the Lesotho flora.

Keywords

• Lesotho
• Maloti-Drakensberg
• Qacha’s Nek
• Sehlabathebe
• new records