Commelinaceae
Aneilema

Aneilema benadirense Chiov.

First published in Atti Ist. Bot. "Giovanni Briosi", ser. 4, 7: 154 (1936)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Somalia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Type
S2, S of “Merca”, Ciferri 73 (PAV holo., FT, K iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Probable perennial with shoots erect to ascending, to 22 cm long (or more)
Morphology Leaves
Leaves with blade narrowly lanceolate-elliptic to lanceolate or ovate, 3.5–8 x 1.5–3.2 cm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Thyrses moderately dense, ovoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, (2.5–)3–3.5 x 2–4(–5.5) cm, composed of (8–)10–21 often subverticillate cincinni
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracteoles
Bracteoles nearly symmetrically cup-shaped, perfoliate, herbaceous, with a prominent subapical gland and smaller marginal glands
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers bisexual and male
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels (5–)6–7.5(–9) mm long, recurved in fruit 180–270°, puberulous distally
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals glandular near the apex and along the margins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Staminodes
Lateral staminodes with bilobed antherodes, medial staminode vestigial
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsules substipitate, 3-celled, 2-valved, probably obovate-elliptic to obovate, 3.4–4 x c. 2 mm, apex emarginate; dorsal valve deciduous (tardily?); dorsal cell 1-seeded, ventral cells 2-seeded
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds moderately dimorphic; seed from dorsal cell hemispherical, 1.8–2 mm long, 1.3–1.4 mm wide, 1–1.25 mm thick, testa ± smooth, yellow­-buff or orange-buff; seeds from ventral cell ovate to subtriangular 1.3–1.6(–1.7) x 1.35–1.4 x 0.9–1 mm, testa scrobiculate, orange-­buff, white-farinose in the depressions.
Distribution
S2 not known elsewhere.
Ecology
Altitude range: up to c. 100 m.
Note
The flower colour was described as “greenish-white or yellowish-white” by Chiovenda, but this seems unlikely.
[FSOM]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0