Ataxonomic Study Of Blepharis Edulls(forssk.) Pers. Complex (acanthaceae)

The species /3Iep/1oris eduJj~· (Forssk.) Pers. has jor long been miSlaken w;lh B.rnlinariaejolia Pers. and B. cjfiari~' (L) B. L. Bun or IJ. boranensis Vollesen (ined.) alldrnmost ojlhe colleclions identified indiscriminately. While revising Ihe genus. of/emplrnby Vollesen 10 separa/e (he species. Ihough wilh considerable observedrnmorphological varitlliOn oj specimens, wasjillile and recommended on in ftC/specificrnsludy based on morphology. This sl/Idy, therejore, employs phenelic lechniques onrngross morphology. bOlh mtllure and seedlings characlers in conjllncfion wilhrnpalynological evidence to disenlangle 13. edl/lis complex and re/ated (axa. Clllsterrnanalysis segregatedjour groups. which were jimher verified by Principal ComponentrnAnalYSis. Discriminant Analysis and Non·Paramelrlc Analysis. Importantly,rnvegetative and floral characters discontinuollsly or panially separawd fhe accrlledrnell/Sler groups. These results were jimher supported by IXilynology. Subsequently,rnrhese laxQ wac de~·r.:ribcd as B. boranem'ls Vollesen (ined). /J edulls var. edulisrnPers .. B. edulis var. glabra Malombe var. nov. and B. edulis var. isabellae Malombernvar. nov. The species B. boranensis, a pan jrom elmr separtllion in the ordinationrnspace. it is morphologically discrete from all the OIher qffilialed groups. /J edulisrnvar. edulis is dislinguished discontinuously jrom B. edulis var. isabellae and panialiyrnfrom B. edlliis var. glabra by [etll llres of cOlyledoll colOllr. lIumber and arrangementrnof leaf marginal spines. More so. Ihe three varieties lack a wide geographicalrnvaritllion.

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