Baphia is a small genus of legumes that bear simple leaves. Baphia is from the Greek word βάπτω (báptō-, "to dip" or "to dye"), referring to a red dye that is extracted from the heartwood of tropical species. The genus is restricted to the African tropics. Baphia was traditionally assigned to the tribe Sophoreae; however, recent molecular phylogenetic analyses reassigned Baphia to the tribe Baphieae.

Species

Baphia comprises the following species:

Section Alata M.O.Soladoye

• Baphia cordifolia Harms

Section Baphia Lodd.

Series Baphia Lodd.

• Baphia abyssinica Brummitt

• Baphia dewevrei De Wild.

• Baphia dewildeana M.O.Soladoye

• Baphia latiloi M.O.Soladoye

• Baphia laurifolia Baillon

Baphia longipedicellata De Wild.

• subsp. keniensis (Brummitt) M.O.Soladoye

• subsp. longipedicellata De Wild.

• Baphia mambillensis M.O.Soladoye

Baphia marceliana De Wild.

• subsp. marceliana De Wild.

• subsp. marquesii (M.Exell) M.O.Soladoye

• Baphia nitida Lodd. (Camwood)

• Baphia pauloi Brummitt

  Baphia pubescens Hook.f.

• Baphia puguensis Brummitt

Baphia punctulata Harms

• subsp. descampsii (De Wild.) M.O.Soladoye

• subsp. palmensis M.O.Soladoye

• subsp. punctulata Harms

Series Contiguinae M.O.Soladoye

• Baphia angolensis Baker

  Baphia brachybotrys Harms

• Baphia breteleriana M.O.Soladoye

Baphia buettneri Harms

• subsp. buettneri Harms

• subsp. hylophila (Harms) M.O.Soladoye

• Baphia gossweileri Baker f.

Baphia incerta De Wild.

• subsp. incerta De Wild.

• subsp. lebrunii (L.Touss.) M.O.Soladoye

Baphia leptostemma Baillon

subsp. gracilipes (Harms) M.O.Soladoye

• var. gracilipes (Harms) M.O.Soladoye

• var. conraui (Harms) M.O.Soladoye

  subsp. leptostemma Baillon

• Baphia preussii Harms

• Baphia obanensis Baker f.

• Baphia wollastonii Baker f.

Series Spathaceae M.O.Soladoye

• Baphia eriocalyx Harms

Baphia spathacea Hook.f.

• subsp. polyantha (Harms) M.O.Soladoye

• subsp. spathacea Hook.f.

Section Bracteolaria (Hochst.) Benth.

• Baphia aurivellera Taubert

Baphia capparidifolia Baker

• subsp. bangweolensis (R.E.Fries) Brummitt

• subsp. capparidifolia Baker

• subsp. multiflora (Harms) Brummitt

• subsp. polygalacea Brummitt

• Baphia dubia De Wild.

• Baphia heudelotiana Baillon

Baphia kirkii Baker

• subsp. kirkii Baker

• subsp. ovata (Sim) M.O.Soladoye

• Baphia laurentii De Wild.

Section Longibracteolatae (Lester-Garland) M.O.Soladoye

Series Chrysophyllae M.O.Soladoye

• Baphia burttii Baker f.

Baphia chrysophylla Taubert

• subsp. chrysophylla Taubert

• subsp. claessensii (De Wild.) Brummitt

• Baphia cuspidata Taubert

Baphia massaiensis Taubert

• subsp. busseana (Harms) M.O.Soladoye

• subsp. floribunda Brummitt

• subsp. gomesii (Baker f.) Brummitt

• subsp. massaiensis Taubert

subsp. obovata (Schinz) Brummitt

• var. cornifolia (Harms) M.O.Soladoye

• var. obovata (Schinz) M.O.Soladoye

• var. whitei (Brummitt) M.O.Soladoye

• Baphia speciosa J.B.Gillett & Brummitt

Series Macranthae M.O.Soladoye

• Baphia bequaertii De Wild.

  Baphia letestui Pellegrin

  Baphia maxima Baker

Series Striatae (Lester Garland) M.O.Soladoye

Baphia leptobotrys Harms

• subsp. leptobotrys Harms

• subsp. silvatica (Harms) M.O.Soladoye

Baphia pilosa Baillon

• subsp. batangensis (Harms) M.O.Soladoye

• subsp. pilosa Baillon

Section Macrobaphia Harms emend. M.O.Soladoye

• Baphia bergeri De Wild.

• Baphia macrocalyx Harms

• Baphia semseiana Brummitt

Incertae sedis

• Baphia cymosa Breteler

• Baphia madagascariensis (A.Heller) A.Heller

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved:

• Baphia glauca A. Chev.

• Baphia longepetiolata Taub.

• Baphia madagascariensis C.H. Stirt. & Du Puy

• Baphia megaphylla Breteler

• Baphia radcliffei Baker f.

In 2023, a new species, Baphia arenicola was discovered growing in the deep sandy highland region of central Angola, part of the Kalahari sands, and was formally described to science. The floral characters most morphologically similar to Baphiamassaiensis but with certain characters also comparable to Baphia bequaertii, with all three species found growing in the same region. Preliminary molecular analysis places the new taxon close to Baphia bequaertii. Whilst most Baphia form above ground shrubs and trees, Baphia arenicola grows as a geoxylic suffrutex (often described as "underground trees") with most of its woody tissue growing buried deep within the sand and its flowering parts just above ground level.

References