Adansonia kilima
Adansonia kilima, is the name given in 2012 to certain upland populations of baobab trees of southern and eastern Africa that are now considered to be synonymous with Adansonia digitata [1] It has overlapping geographic range with A. digitata, is tetraploid, and apparently the same species as the tetraploid A. digitata.[1]
| Adansonia kilima | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Adansonia |
| Species: | A. kilima/digitata |
| Binomial name | |
| Adansonia kilima/digitata Pettigrew, K.L.Bell, Bhagw., Grinan, Jillani, Jean Mey., Wabuyele & C.E.Vickers | |
Description
A. kilima was originally described (in 2012) as having smaller flowers (about half the size of A. digitata flowers) which it presented in larger numbers each night, and with he pollen grains about 2/3 the diameter of the pollen of A. digitata, and more spiny.[1] However, Cron et al. (2016) showed that none of these differences were consistent, and that there was no genetic difference between the forms, which should therefore all be considered A. digitata.
References
- Pettigrew, J. D.; et al. (2012). "Morphology, ploidy and molecular phylogenetics reveal a new diploid species from Africa in the baobab genus Adansonia (Malvaceae: Bombacoideae)" (PDF). Taxon. 61 (6): 1240–1250. doi:10.1002/tax.616006.
Cron, Glynis & Karimi, Nisa & Glennon, Kelsey & Udeh, Chukwudi & Witkowski, E & Venter, Sarah & Assogbadio, A & Baum, David. (2016). "One African baobab species or two? A re-evaluation of Adansonia kilima." South African Journal of Botany. 103. 312. 10.1016/j.sajb.2016.02.036.