Kewa

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Ordo: Caryophyllales

Familia: Kewaceae
Genus: Kewa
Species: K. acida – K. angrae-pequenae – K. arenicola – K. bowkeriana – K. caespitosa – K. salsoloides – K. suffruticosa – K. trachysperma
Name

Kewa Christenh., Phytotaxa 181(4): 240. (2014)

Type species: Kewa salsoloides (Burch.) Christenh., Phytotaxa 181(4): 241. (2014)

References

Christenhusz, M.J.M., Brockington, S.F., Christin, P.A. & Sage, R.F. 2014. On the disintegration of Molluginaceae: a new genus and family (Kewa, Kewaceae) segregated from Hypertelis, and placement of Macarthuria in Macarthuriaceae. Phytotaxa 181(4): 238–242. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.181.4.4 Full text PDF from ResearchGate Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2014. Kewa. Published online. Accessed: Apr. 10 2014.
Thulin, M., Moore, A.J., El-Seedi, H., Larsson, A., Christin, P.A. & Edwards, E.J. 2016. Phylogeny and generic delimitation in Molluginaceae, new pigment data in Caryophyllales, and the new family Corbichoniaceae. Taxon 65(4): 775–793. DOI: 10.12705/654.6 Full text PDF from ResearchGate Reference page.

Kewa is a genus of flowering plants, consisting of eight species[2] of succulent sub-woody plants, native to eastern and southern Africa, including Saint Helena and Madagascar. These are small shrubs or herbs that form cushions and have edible, acid-tasting leaves. Kewa is the only genus in the family Kewaceae.[1]

The species were formerly included in the genus Hypertelis of the family Molluginaceae, but molecular studies have shown that most species did not belong there, but were rather distantly related to Molluginaceae, being placed in a clade comprising Aizoaceae, Gisekiaceae and Barbeuiaceae. Only the type species Hypertelis spergulacea remains in Molluginaceae; all others are transferred to the genus Kewa, which was named for Kew, where the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew are situated.[1]
Species

Species transferred to Kewa from Hypertelis in 2014 were:[1]

Kewa acida (Hook.f.) Christenh. – Saint Helena
Kewa angrae-pequenae (Friedrich) Christenh. – Namibia, South Africa
Kewa arenicola (Sond.) Christenh. – South Africa
Kewa bowkeriana (Sond.) Christenh. – Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa
Kewa caespitosa (Friedrich) Christenh. – Namibia, South Africa
Kewa salsoloides (Burch.) Christenh. – Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, South Africa
Kewa suffruticosa (Baker) Christenh. – Madagascar
Kewa trachysperma (Adamson) Christenh. – South Africa

Cultivation

Plants are perennial but relatively short lived. They can easily be propagated from seed and make attractive cushion-like shrubs with leathery leaves and many starry white flowers.
References

Christenhusz, M. J. M.; Brockington, S. F.; Christin, P.-A. & Sage, R. F. (2014). "On the disintegration of Molluginaceae: a new genus (Kewa, Kewaceae) segregated from Hypertelis, and placement of Macarthuria in Macarthuriaceae". Phytotaxa. Magnolia Press. 181 (4): 238–242. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.181.4.4.
Christenhusz, M. J. M.; Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa. Magnolia Press. 261 (3): 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1.