Earlier works recognised two South African species Memecylon bachmannii and M. natalense within M. sect. Buxifolia, but recent molecular analyses have revealed that M. natalense as previously circumscribed is not monophyletic and includes several geographically outlying populations warranting treatment as distinct taxa. In this revision we recognise five endemic South African species of which M. bachmannii and M. natalense are both maintained but with narrower circumscriptions, and M. kosiense, M. soutpansbergense and M. australissimum are newly described. Memecylon kosiense is localised in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal (Maputaland) and is closely related to M. incisilobum of southern Mozambique. Memecylon soutpansbergense, from Limpopo Province, was previously confused with M. natalense but is clearly distinguished on vegetative characters. Memecylon australissimum occurs in the Eastern Cape (Hluleka and Dwesa-Cwebe nature reserves) and has relatively small leaves like those of M. natalense, but the floral bracteoles are persistent and the fruit is ovoid as in M. bachmannii. We further designate a lectotype for M. natalense, provide an updated key to the South African species of Memecylon, and provisionally assess the status of each species in accordance with International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria.
Memecylon sect. Buxifolia R.D. Stone (Melastomataceae, Olisbeoideae) is a group of forest shrubs and small understory trees distributed from tropical East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania) to eastern South Africa and with a disjunct occurrence in Madagascar. Previous authors had recognized three species of this section as occurring in Mozambique, i.e., M. natalense We assess the conservation status of each new species according to the IUCN Categories and Criteria, and provide an identification key to the seven species of Memecylon currently recognized in the flora of Mozambique.
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