Neocussonia umbellifera (Sond.) Hutch., Gen. Fl. Pl.

Lowry Ii, Porter P., Plunkett, Gregory M., Gostel, Morgan R. & Frodin, David G., 2017, A synopsis of the Afro-Malagasy species previously included in Schefflera (Araliaceae): resurrection of the genera Astropanax and Neocussonia, Candollea 72 (2), pp. 265-282 : 280

B14. Neocussonia umbellifera (Sond.) Hutch., Gen. Fl. Pl. 2: 79. 1967.

÷ Cussonia umbellifera Sond. in Linnaea 23: 49. 1850. ÷ Schefflera umbellifera (Sond.) Baill., Hist. Pl. 7: 162. 1879.

Lectotypus (designated here): SOUTH AFRICA. Prov. KwaZulu-Natal: Port Natal [= Durban], bud, Gueinzius s.n. ( S [ S14-41368 ] image seen; isolecto-: CGE!, G [ G00341683 ]!, LE!, P [ P04352720 , P04352724 , P04352725 ]!, PRE!, S [ S14-41367 ] image seen, SAM!, W!) . Syntypi: SOUTH AFRICA. Prov. KwaZulu-Natal: between Omsamculo (Umzimkulu) and Omcomas (Umkomaas), Drège s.n. ( S [ S14-41370 ] image seen) .

= Cussonia chartacea Schinz in Bull. Herb. Boissier 2: 211. 1894. Typus:S OUTH AFRICA. Prov. KwaZulu-Natal: Umbilo, Rehmann 8096 (not found).

= Cussonia buchananii Harms in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 26: 251. 1899. ÷ Schefflera umbellifera var. buchananii (Harms) Tennant in Kew Bull. 14: 220. 1960. ÷ Neocussonia buchananii (Harms) Hutch., Gen. Fl. Pl. 2: 79 (1967). Lectotypus (designated here): MALAWI: Nyasaland, sine loc., 1895, bud & fl., Buchanan 295 (BM [BM00645597]!; isolecto-: BR [BR00886172]!, E [E00217670] image seen, K [K000350554]!, SRGH [SRGH0106562-0] image seen).

Habitat and distribution. – Neocussonia umbellifera occurs in East and Southern Africa, where it is widespread in humid forest at altitudes of 200 to 2,200 m, from Zimbabwe and Malawi in the north to Swaziland and South Africa in the south ( BAMPS, 1974b; APD, 2017).

Notes. – Cussonia umbellifera Sond. was based on two collections from South Africa, Gueinzius s.n. from Port Natal (Durban), and Drège s.n. from between Omsamculo (Umzimkulu) and Omcomas (Umkomaas). A large number of specimens of this taxon made by Drège are widely deposited in many herbaria, but they appear to represent several separate gatherings and it is not clear which of these gatherings might have been used by Sonder nor which specimens actually represent each individual gathering. We have chosen to lectotypify this name using the fertile specimen of Gueinzius s.n. at S, which was unquestionably seen by Sonder and thus used for his description.

Cussonia chartacea was based on Rehmann 8096. We have not been able to locate any material of this collection.

Cussonia buchananii was based on two collections, Buchanan 295, which is referable to Neocussonia umbellifera , and Stuhlmann 9112, which represents material of N. lukwangulensis (see above). FRODIN & GOVAERTS (2004) placed C. buchananii in synonymy under Schefflera umbellifera (÷ Neocussonia umbellifera ), suggesting that a lectotypification might have been made, but we cannot find any evidence that it actually was. In order to maintain that placement in synonymy, we have lectotypified Cussonia buchananii using Buchanan 295. The original material on which Harms based his description was presumably deposited at Berlin and thus must have been destroyed, so we have selected the duplicate at BM as the lectotype because it represents the best specimen, which reflects the fact that material of this collection was originally distributed from there.