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SANSEVIERIA - INFORMAL SPECIES LIST - PART 1

Hey gang. I Have just one more Sansevieria bombshell to post before
Christmas. Enjoy.

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AN INFORMAL LIST OF SANSEVIERIA SPECIES

Stephen Jankalski

After going over the considerable literature and observing Sansevieria
plants in a number of collections, I have put together this provisional
list of species. I have found that the species can be divided into three
major groups based on the form of the inflorescences (floral stems) and
into ten species groups based on the leaves. These appear to be natural
groups and make a conveniently named starting place for comparing similar
looking named species.

Opinions and comments are welcome from members of the group. I have formal
names proposed for these groups but they would need to be validly published
with Latin diagnoses.

An important diagnostic character is the leaf margin. Leaf margins are
bicolored in all species groups except the S.trifasciata and S.cylindrica
groups. The leaf margin is reduced to a basal sheath in cylindrical leafed
species. Another important character is the texture of the leaf surface.
Leaves with a constricted pseudo-petiolate base are rare in the genus.
Caulescence is also rare in the genus. Its presence in the paniculate
flowered species may suggest the latter, particularly the S.arborescens
group, are the most primative. The umbelliform flowered groups are probably
the most advanced and have a tendency toward geophilous subsessile
inflorescences, particularly in the S.fischeri group.

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Sansevieria Thunberg, Prodr. Pl. Cap. 29: 65 (1794) nom. conserv.
typus conserv.:  Aloe hyacinthoides L. (= Sansevieria hyacinthoides (L.)
Druce; Sansevieria thyrsiflora Thunberg )

syn. Cordyline Adanson, Fam. Pl. 2: 54, 543 (1763) nom. rej., not Commerson
ex Jussieu (1789) nom. conserv.
typus: Aloe zeylandica pumila foliis variegatis Plunket (= Sansevieria
zeylandica (L.) Willdenow)

       Acyntha Medikus, Theodora 76 (1786) nom. rej.
typus: Acyntha guineensis Medikus (= Sansevieria trifasciata Prain)

       Sanseverina Petagna, Inst. Bot. 3: 643 (1787) nom. rej.
typus: Sansevierina thyrsiflora Petagna (= Sansevieria hyacinthoides (L.)
Druce)

       Salmia Cavanilles, Icon. Pl. Hisp. 3: 24, t. 246(1794) nom. rej.,
not Salmea De Candolle (1813) nom. conserv.
typus: Salmia spicata Cavanilles (= Sansevieria hyacinthoides (L.) Druce)

       Pleomele Salisbury, Prodromus 245 (1796) pro parte, quoad Pleomele
aloifolia Salisbury (= Sansevieria hyacinthoides (L.) Druce)

       Sanseviera Willdenow, Sp. Pl. 2: 159 (1799) orthographic varient
       Sansevera J.Stokes, Bot. Mater. Med. 2: 260 (1812) orthographic
varient
       Sanseverina Thunberg, Fl. Capensis 2: 322 (1818) orthographic
varient
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