PODOSTEMACEAE OF AFRICA AND MADAGASCAR: KEYS TO GENERA AND SPECIES, INCLUDING GENERA DESCRIPTIONS, ILLUSTRATIONS TO ALL SPECIES KNOWN, SYNONYMS, AND LITERATURE LIST

The first Key allows you to identify all African (including Madagascar) genera. This is an interactive key. Click on the numbers/ genera on the right and you will be guided to the next step in the key/ the genus description. For further identification to the species level see the following keys.

There are 16 genera and c. 85 species known from Africa and Madagascar. Key A allows to identify all African (incl. Madagascan) genera. Key B points to all genera of Cameroon which is the country with the highest number of genera (10) and species (c.34) in Africa. For diagnoses to all genera and keys to species level, please consult the main document (PDF only). Eight out of the 16 genera occur with just one species in Africa and Madagascar; five of them are monotypic genera restricted to Africa (continent), two of them are monotypic genera endemic to Madagascar. Most genera consist of 6 or less species. Species keys are added allowing the identification of species when there is more than one species per genus. The genus Ledermanniella (as defined by Cusset 1974, 1983, 1984) is an exceptionally large genus, containing c. 46 spp., i.e. more than half of all podostemaceous taxa from Africa. It should be possible to identify the species of this large (and perhaps artificial) genus with its two subgenera: subg. Ledermanniella (Key D and Key E ) and subg. Phyllosoma (Key F and Key G) . Drawings of all and photographies of some species from Africa and Madagascar in the galleries allow to check the identification.

Note for botanists in trouble: It is difficult and often impossible to identify most taxa if reproductive structures (flowers, capsules) are lacking. If you have difficulties you may also try Key C which is a multiple-access key pointing to some (but not all!) podostemaceous taxa from Africa and Madagascar sharing unique characters. Please check also literature with complete species descriptions (not provided in this homepage).

PODOSTEMACEAE OF AMERICA: KEY TO GENERA, INCLUDING GENERA DESCRIPTIONS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

The following key to the American genera is interactive. Click on the numbers/ genera name on the right and you will be guided to the next step in the key/ the genus description.

Key to American Genera

PODOSTEMACEAE OF ASIA/AUSTRALIA: KEY TO GENERA, INCLUDING GENERA DESCRIPTIONS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

The following key to the Asian and Australian genera is interactive. Click on the numbers/ genera name on the right and you will be guided to the next step in the key/ the genus description.

Key to Asian/Australian Genera