The Flowering Plants of Africa: An Analytical Key to the Genera of African Phanerograms

THE flora of Africa being now comparatively well known, the author of the present work considered the time opportune to present to the public an analytical key for determining in an easy way the generic name of every phanerogamous plant growing wild, whether indigenous or naturalized, or cultivated upon a large scale within the geographical limits of Africa including the islands.

The names and limits of the genera and families adopted in this work are those accepted in ENGLER & PRANTL’S “Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien,” the most recent work containing the description of all genera of flowering plants, and its supplement “Genera Siphonogamarum” by DALLA TORRE & HARMS.

As the present work is intended for the use not only of botanists, but also of colonists and travellers in Africa, who take an interest in botany, I have used, wherever it was possible, as distinctive characters, those which are visible to the naked eye in a plant in flower, being careful, however, not to deviate too much from the natural system.

Besides the diagnostic characters of the genera, I have also indicated the approximative number of the species described to the end of the year 1910, their geographical distribution, their uses, and their more important synonyms.

As to the terms used in indicating the geographical distribution of African plants, “North Africa” (including North-west-and North-east Africa) means all northern extratropical Africa, “South Africa” (including South-west and South-east Africa) southern extratropical Africa, “tropical Africa” Africa within the tropics, including all islands, whereas the continent of Africa within the tropics including only the small islands in the proximity of the coast, is designated by “Central Africa.”

The present work was originally published in German under the title “Die Blütenpflanzen Africas” (Berlin, R. Friedländer & Sohn, 1908). A new edition being desirable, I have preferred the English language, and I am indebted to Dr. A. B. RENDLE, of the British Museum, for revising my translation.