Gisekia scabridula
- Holotype: Somalia, Kuchar 17651 (holotypus K)
- 1. Gilbert, M. G. 1993: A review of Gisekia (Gisekiaceae). – Kew Bulletin 48(2): 343-356. http://doi.org/10.2307/4117942
Notes
This species is closely related to G. haudica which has the same stamen number and a somewhat similar habit and leaf-form. Some forms of G. africana var. africana are also rather similar in habit but differ in leaf-shape. It is separated from these and all other taxa, which are nearly all totally glabrous, by the presence of a minutely asperous tomentum, at least near the nodes and often all over, mericarp form and possibly also by the more distinctly perennial habit. The possible exception is G. polylopha described below but there the hairs/papillae are much fewer and combined with the striking differences in habit and mericarp ornamentation leave no doubt that distinct taxa are involved. It also differs from the rest of the genus by the details of the mericarp sculpturing: the sculptured mericarps have numerous papillae which are flattened-triangular in dried material and which sometimes are lined up to form ill-defined narrow +/- longi- tudinal wings which are restricted to the sutures. Other species have either -/+ spine-like papillae or distinct well-defined wings. The sutures of the mericarps are also sometimes raised up to form narrow wings. In north-east Africa G. africana is also easily separated by the much smaller subspathulate leaves. G. pharnaceoides is readily separated by the fewer stamens per flower and by their broader filaments whilst G. haudica, somewhat similar in leaf-shape and stamen number, has a more strictly prostrate habit, much denser flower clusters and sculptured mericarps with cylindrical or +/- spine-like papillae and well developed suture-wings.