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SANSEVIERIA DAWEI

SANSEVIERIA DAWEI

Stephen Jankalski

Otto Stapf described Sansevieria dawei based on specimens brought back from
Uganda by M.T. Dawe.

"Sansevieria Dawei Stapf [Journ. Linn. Soc., Bot. 37: 529 (1902)]; affinis
S.guineensis, Willd., foliis ad 1.5 m. longis, ad 6 cm. latis, utrinque
longe attenuatis distincta; floribus ternatim fasciculatis, pedicellis imo
apice articulatis.

Folia ensiformia, apice et basi longe attenuata, basi exsiccando plicata
vel involuta, rubro-marginata, ad 1.5 m. longa, ad 6 cm. lata, concoloria,
glaucescentia. Inflorescentiae pedunculo incluso 6-7 dm. longae; pedunculus
circiter 3.5 dm. longus, medio (vivus) 1 cm. crassus; cataphylla scariosa
6, lanceolata ad 4.5 cm.  longa; bracteae oblongo-lanceolatae, acutae,
infimae ad fere 2 cm., superiores 0.1 cm. longae, albidae; pedicelli
3-natum fasciculati, 2.5-4.5 mm. longi, imo apice articulati. Perianthium
album; tubus 3 cm. longus, gracilis; segmenta linearia, obtusa, 2-2.2 cm.
longa ad 2.2 mm. lata.  Stamina perianthii segmenta aequantia; antherae 3
mm. longae. Stylus ad 6.5 cm. longus. Fructus haud notus.

[Uganda] Busiro, Dawe, 109 [K]; Entebbe, Mahon, May 6, 1902 [K]. According
to Mr. Dawe, also in Toro and Unyoro.

Native name, "Bugogwa."

Mr. Dawe tells me that this plant differs considerably from S.guineensis in
appearance, mainly on account of its very long and narrow leaves. Otherwise
it comes very near to S.guineensis, and will have to be studied in the
field with respect to the distinctive characters mentioned above."

[Stapf compared his new species with Sansevieria guineensis Willd., which
is a synonym of Sans. hyacinthoides (L.) Druce (Sans. thyrsiflora Thunb.).
It is possible he actually compared it with Sans. guineensis sensu Baker
(1874) which is Sans. metallica Gerome & Labroy according to N.E. Brown
(1915).]

N.E. Brown (1915) Kew Bulletin 1915 (5): 67-68 provided this expanded
English translation, based in part on living plants and additional
comments:

"46. S.[ansevieria] Dawei Stapf in Journ. Linn. Soc. vol. XXXVII, p. 529
(see Plates). Stemless, with a creeping rootstock up to 1 in. or more
thick. Leaves of adult plants 2-3 to a growth, ascending or suberect,
smooth above slightly rough beneath, 2-5 ft. long, 2 1/4 - 4 1/2 in. (or
more?) broad, elongate-lanceolate, tapering from above the middle upwards
to an acute apex and downwards into a shortor long concave-channeled
petiole or sometimes almost without a petiole, uniformly dull deep green
and somewhat glaucous on both sides (Dawe), but in living specimens seen,
variegated with pale green on both sides when young, margins reddish-brown.
Flower-stem 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 ft. high, with 5-6 ovate or lanceolate acuminate
membranous white sheaths on the basal third, and a rather compact
spike-like raceme of flower-clusters above. Bracts1/3 - 2/3 in. long, the
secondary being about half as large as the primary and conspicuous, ovate
or ovate-oblong, acute or subobtuse, greenish or tinged with dull purplish.
Flowers 3-4 in a cluster, white; pedicels 2-3 lin. long, jointed close
under the flower; tube 3/4 - 1 in. long; lobes 2/3 - 7/8 in. long.

Uganda. Busiro, Dawe, 109 ! Entebbe, Matron [sphalm. for Mahon], 3!

Described from the type specimens and living plants. There are also
specimens at Kew collected between Voi and the Taita Hills in British East
Africa [Kenya] (Grenfell 2 & 12), and another received from the Imperial
Institute under No. 21342 as the "Tuor. fiber plant from Uganda." A living
plant at Kew has leaves green or bluish-green on both sides without
markings when fully grown, but when young they are sometimes irregularly
marked with pale green spots or bands and usually with a distinct glaucous
"bloom", they vary from  2 1/2 up to 4 3/4 in. in breadth. The flower-stem
is of a lighter green than the leaves, with indications of being tinged
with purple where exposed to the sun. Bracts up to 1/3 in. long, reflexed
or very spreading, ovate-lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, acute. Tube of
the flower about 1 1/6 in. long; lobes about 1 in. long. In all other
particulars it agrees with S.Dawei.

The photographs of this species have been kindly sent by Mr. T.D. Maitland,
District Agricultural Officer, Uganda, and were taken from plants growing
in a native compound."

In his key, N.E. Brown (1915) distinguishes Sans. dawei from Sans.
metallica var. longituba only by the leaves having a much wider dark
red-brown edge.

Sans. dawei Stapf is distictive by being one of only a few species reported
to be hexaploid (6X) by Menzel & Pate (1960) and Nazeer & Khoshoo (1984).
The only other reported hexaploids are Sans. cylindrica Bojer, Sans.
subfasciata Baker, Sans. concinna N.E. Brown and Sans. powellii N.E. Brown.

REFERENCES

Baker, J.G. (1874) REVISION OF THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF ASPARAGACEAE.
Journal of the Linnaean Society, Botany 14: 508-632.

Brown, N.E. (1915) Sansevieria. A Monograph of All Known Species. Kew
Bulletin 1915 (5): 1-81, 23 figs.

Menzel, M.Y. & Pate, J.B. (1960) Chromosomes and crossing behavior of some
species of Sansevieria. American Journal of Botany 47 (3): 230-238,12 figs.

Nazeer, M.A. & Khoshoo, T.N. (1984) CYTOLOGY OF SOME SPECIES OF SANSEVIERIA
THUNB. Cytologia 49 (2): 325-332.

Stapf, O. (1902) PLANTAE NOVAE DAWEANAE IN UGANDA LECTAE. Journal of the
Linnaean Society, Botany 37: 495-532, pl. 21-22.
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