Baphia


Baphia is a small genus of legumes that bear simple leaves. Baphia is from the Greek word βάπτω, referring to a red dye that is extracted from the heartwood of tropical species. The genus is restricted to the African tropics. Baphia was traditionally assigned to the tribe Sophoreae; however, recent molecular phylogenetic analyses reassigned Baphia to the tribe Baphieae.

Species

Baphia comprises the following species:

Section ''Alata'' M.O.Soladoye

Baphia cordifolia Harms

Section ''Baphia'' Lodd.

Series ''Baphia'' Lodd.

Baphia abyssinica BrummittBaphia dewevrei De Wild.Baphia dewildeana M.O.SoladoyeBaphia latiloi M.O.SoladoyeBaphia laurifolia BaillonBaphia longipedicellata De Wild.
  • * subsp. keniensis M.O.Soladoye
  • * subsp. longipedicellata De Wild.Baphia mambillensis M.O.SoladoyeBaphia marceliana De Wild.
  • * subsp. marceliana De Wild.
  • * subsp. marquesii M.O.SoladoyeBaphia nitida Lodd. Baphia pauloi BrummittBaphia pubescens Hook.f.Baphia puguensis BrummittBaphia punctulata Harms
  • * subsp. descampsii M.O.Soladoye
  • * subsp. palmensis M.O.Soladoye
  • * subsp. punctulata Harms

Series ''Contiguinae'' M.O.Soladoye

Baphia angolensis BakerBaphia brachybotrys HarmsBaphia breteleriana M.O.SoladoyeBaphia buettneri Harms
  • * subsp. buettneri Harms
  • * subsp. hylophila M.O.SoladoyeBaphia gossweileri Baker f.Baphia incerta De Wild.
  • * subsp. incerta De Wild.
  • * subsp. lebrunii M.O.SoladoyeBaphia leptostemma Baillon
  • * subsp. gracilipes M.O.Soladoye
  • ** var. gracilipes M.O.Soladoye
  • ** var. conraui M.O.Soladoye
  • * subsp. leptostemma BaillonBaphia preussii HarmsBaphia obanensis Baker f.Baphia wollastonii Baker f.

Series ''Spathaceae'' M.O.Soladoye

Baphia eriocalyx HarmsBaphia spathacea Hook.f.
  • * subsp. polyantha M.O.Soladoye
  • * subsp. spathacea Hook.f.

Section ''Bracteolaria'' (Hochst.) Benth.

Baphia aurivellera TaubertBaphia capparidifolia Baker
  • * subsp. bangweolensis Brummitt
  • * subsp. capparidifolia Baker
  • * subsp. multiflora Brummitt
  • * subsp. polygalacea BrummittBaphia dubia De Wild.Baphia heudelotiana BaillonBaphia kirkii Baker
  • * subsp. kirkii Baker
  • * subsp. ovata M.O.SoladoyeBaphia laurentii De Wild.

Section ''Longibracteolatae'' (Lester-Garland) M.O.Soladoye

Series ''Chrysophyllae'' M.O.Soladoye

Baphia burttii Baker f.Baphia chrysophylla Taubert
  • * subsp. chrysophylla Taubert
  • * subsp. claessensii BrummittBaphia cuspidata TaubertBaphia massaiensis Taubert
  • * subsp. busseana M.O.Soladoye
  • * subsp. floribunda Brummitt
  • * subsp. gomesii Brummitt
  • * subsp. massaiensis Taubert
  • * subsp. obovata Brummitt
  • ** var. cornifolia M.O.Soladoye
  • ** var. obovata M.O.Soladoye
  • ** var. whitei M.O.SoladoyeBaphia speciosa J.B.Gillett & Brummitt

Series ''Macranthae'' M.O.Soladoye

Baphia bequaertii De Wild.Baphia letestui PellegrinBaphia maxima Baker

Series ''Striatae'' (Lester Garland) M.O.Soladoye

Baphia leptobotrys Harms
  • * subsp. leptobotrys Harms
  • * subsp. silvatica M.O.SoladoyeBaphia pilosa Baillon
  • * subsp. batangensis M.O.Soladoye
  • * subsp. pilosa Baillon

Section ''Macrobaphia'' Harms emend. M.O.Soladoye

Baphia bergeri De Wild.Baphia macrocalyx HarmsBaphia semseiana Brummitt

''Incertae sedis''

Baphia cymosa BretelerBaphia madagascariensis A.Heller

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved:Baphia glauca A. Chev.Baphia longepetiolata Taub.Baphia madagascariensis C.H. Stirt. & Du PuyBaphia megaphylla BretelerBaphia radcliffei Baker f.
In 2023, a new species, Baphia arenicola was discovered growing in the deep sandy highland region of central Angola, part of the Kalahari sands, and was formally described to science. The floral characters most morphologically similar to Baphia massaiensis but with certain characters also comparable to Baphia bequaertii, with all three species found growing in the same region. Preliminary molecular analysis places the new taxon close to Baphia bequaertii. Whilst most Baphia form above ground shrubs and trees, Baphia arenicola grows as a geoxylic suffrutex with most of its woody tissue growing buried deep within the sand and its flowering parts just above ground level.