Spirostachys

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Malpighiales

Familia: Euphorbiaceae
Subfamilia: Euphorbioideae
Tribus: Hippomaneae
Subtribus: Hippomaninae
Genus: Spirostachys
Species: S. africana – S. venenifera
Name

Spirostachys Sond., Linnaea 23: 106. (1850)

Type species: Spirostachys africana Sond.

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Excoecariopsis Pax, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 239 (1910).

Homonyms

Spirostachys Ung.-Sternb. (1866), nom. illeg.
Spirostachys S.Watson (1874), nom. illeg.

References
Primary references

Sonder, W. 1850. Beiträge zur Flora von Südafrica. Linnaea 23: 1–138. BHL Reference page. : 106

Links

Hassler, M. 2018. Spirostachys. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2018. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Dec. 13. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2018. Spirostachys. Published online. Accessed: Dec. 13 2018.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2018. Spirostachys in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Dec. 13. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2018. Spirostachys. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 Dec. 13.

Vernacular names
suomi: Tambotipuut

Spirostachys is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1850.[2][3] It is native to Africa.[1][4] Zuloaga, F. O., O. Morrone, M. J. Belgrano, C. Marticorena & E. Marchesi. (eds.) 2008. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares del Cono Sur. Monographs in systematic botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 107(1–3): i–xcvi, 1–3348.

The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek speiros = spiral, stachys = spike, in allusion to the spiral arrangement of the florets on the flower spike.

Species[1]

Spirostachys africana Sond. - E + SE + S Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Province)
Spirostachys venenifera (Pax) Pax - Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania

formerly included[1][5]

moved to other genera (Excoecaria Spegazziniophytum )

Spirostachys madagascariensis, syn of Excoecaria madagascariensis
Spirostachys patagonica, syn of Spegazziniophytum patagonicum

names in Amaranthaceae

The same genus name, Spirostachys, was used twice to name genera in the Amaranthaceae. Thus were created two illegitimate homonyms, unacceptable according to the rules of nomenclature. The species assigned to these genera have been placed in the genera Allenrolfea and Heterostachys, as follows:[5]

Spirostachys occidentalis (S. Watson) S. Watson 1874, now Allenrolfea occidentalis (S.Watson) Kuntze
Spirostachys olivascens Speg. 1902, now Heterostachys olivascens (Speg.) Molfino
Spirostachys ritteriana (Moq.) Ung.-Sternb. 1866, now Heterostachys ritteriana (Moq.) Ung.-Sternb.
Spirostachys vaginata Griseb. 1874, now Allenrolfea vaginata (Griseb.) Kuntze
Spirostachys vaginata Benth. & Hook.f. - unresolved

References

Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Sonder, Otto Wilhelm. 1850. Linnaea : Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange 23: 106 in Latin except for locale of type collection, this in German
Tropicos, Spirostachys Sond.
Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) 1-4: 1-1622. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Tropicos, search for name Falconeria