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The Genus Aloe L. (Asphodelaceae: Alooideae) in Malawi

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The Genus Aloe L. (Asphodelaceae: Alooideae) in Malawi Bradleya 30/2012 pages 65 – 92 The genus Aloe L. (Asphodelaceae: Alooideae) in Malawi Ronell R. Klopper1, Stewart S. Lane2, Gladys Msekandiana-Mkwapatira3 and Gideon F. Smith4 1 Biosystematics Research and Biodiversity Collections Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X101, Pretoria 0002, South Africa / H.G.W.J. Schweickerdt Herbarium, Department of Plant Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa (email: [email protected], author for correspondence). 2 P.O. Box 354, Derdepark 0035, South Africa (email: [email protected]). 3 National Herbarium and Botanic Gardens of Malawi, P.O. Box 528, Zomba, Malawi (email: [email protected]). 4 Office of the Chief Director: Biosystematics Research and Biodiversity Collections, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X101, Pretoria 0002, South Africa / H.G.W.J. Schweickerdt Herbarium, Department of Plant Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa / Centre for Functional Ecology, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade de Coimbra, 3001-455 Coimbra, Portugal (email: [email protected]). Summary: Malawi is a landlocked country situated prehistoric dinosaur and hominid remains in in the eastern section of South Tropical Africa. Africa have been found in the Karonga District of This relatively small country has a rich mosaic of Malawi (Reuters, 2009). The country was offi- habitats owing to the varied topography, altitudi- cially established in 1891 as the British Protec- nal ranges and rainfall found in different areas. torate of Nyasaland. For mainly political reasons Malawi harbours at least 21 different aloes, three Britain linked Nyasaland with Northern and of which are endemic to the country. Aloes in Southern Rhodesia (now Zambia and Zimbabwe, Malawi are severely threatened by habitat de- respectively) in the Central African Federation in struction and many species are in dire need of con- 1953. The Federation was dissolved in 1963. servation. A key to the aloes of Malawi is provided, Nyasaland gained independence on 6th July 1964 as well as a description, illustration, distribution and was renamed Malawi (The World Fact Book, map and information on habitat, flowering time, 2010; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawi). and conservation status for each of the species. Malawi is a landlocked country situated in the eastern section of South Tropical Africa and is Zusammenfassung: Malawi ist ein Land ohne bordered by Mozambique and Tanzania in the Meereszugang im östlichen Teil des südlichen tro- east and by Mozambique and Zambia in the west. pischen Afrikas. Das relativ kleine Land hat be- Malawi is a narrow, north-south extending coun- dingt durch variable Topographie und try of 860 km long and 90–200 km wide and is Höhenlagen sowie unterschiedliche Regenmengen positioned between 9°25’ and 17°08’S, and 33° and ein reiches Mosaik verschiedener Habitate. In 36°E. Three-quarters of its eastern border is Malawi sind mindestens 21 Aloe-Arten heimisch, made up of the country’s most prominent physi- von welchen drei für das Land endemisch sind. cal feature, the 587 km long and 85 km wide Lake Die Aloe-Arten Malawis sind durch Habitatzer- Malawi (Lake Nyasa). The southern end of the störung stark gefährdet, und zahlreiche Arten be- Great Rift Valley runs through the country from dürfen dringend Schutzmassnahmen. Es wird ein north to south and in Malawi the Rift depression Schlüssel zu den malawischen Arten gegeben, is occupied by Lake Malawi, the narrow Lake- sowie für jede Arte Beschreibung, Abbildung, Ver- shore plains and the valley of the Shire River. breitungskarte und Angaben zu Standort, Blüte- Malawi occupies a total of 118,000 km2, of which zeit, und Gefährdungsstatus. 94,276 km2 is land and 23,724 km2 (over 20%) is fresh water (Chapman & White, 1970; Dowsett- Introduction to Malawi Lemaire, 2001a; Msekandiana & Mlangeni, 2002; Although the area was inhabited by modern hu- The World Fact Book, 2010; http://en.wikipedia. mans since the 10th century, some of the oldest org/wiki/Malawi). Bradleya 30/2012 65 Figure 1. Map of Malawi showing the provinces and districts. 66 Bradleya 30/2012 The lowest point in Malawi is 37 m above sea forest or thicket dominating the vegetation at low level (asl). This is where the Shire River, which and medium altitudes, as found on the Lake-shore flows from the south end of Lake Malawi, crosses plains, the Shire Valley and the Central African the border into Mozambique before it joins the plateau. Evergreen forests are only found along lower reaches of the Zambezi River further south. stream banks and rain forest is confined to small The northern part of the country is occupied by areas of high rainfall. These forests form part of the Central African peneplain (1,000–1,100 m the Eastern forest region and have a strong asl). Several isolated hills and elevated plateaux Guineo-Congolian affinity. Grasslands are at rise above this plain, e.g. the Misuku Hills (peak their most extensive on the high plateau, while at ± 2,050 m), the Nyika Plateau (2,606 m), the most of the hills and mountainous areas that rise North Viphya Plateau (2,058 m), the South above the peneplain carry some evergreen Viphya Plateau (1,954 m) and the Dedza Moun- Afromontane forest. Lowland forest patches are tain (2,198 m). In the southern part of the coun- found on the shores of the northern part of Lake try the peneplain lies at 500–600 m asl. Here the Malawi, the Nyika Plateau and the lower slopes highland areas are less extensive, but more of Mt Mulanje. Within the Afromontane region prominent, e.g. the Shire Highlands reach to (mainly above 1,500–1,600 m) one finds evergreen 2,085 m at Zomba and at 3,002 m asl Mount Mu- bushland/thicket and shrubland. Extensive lanje is the highest point in the country, and the swamps occur around Lake Chilwa and in the highest in south-central Africa. Lake Malawi is Lower Shire Valley (Dowsett-Lemaire, 2001b; situated at 460 m asl and has a maximum depth Msekandiana & Mlangeni, 2002). of 700 m. The Great Rift Valley is surrounded by Three Regional Centres of Endemism (RCE) mountainous areas (910–1,200 m asl) and to the (an area with more than 50% of its phanerogamic south of Lake Malawi is the gently undulating species confined to it and harbouring more than and rolling plateau of the Shire Highlands 1,000 endemic species) are present in Malawi. (± 910 m) (Dowsett-Lemaire, 2001a; The World The country lies entirely within the Zambezian Fact Book, 2010; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ RCE, one of the richest in its species diversity. Malawi). The high-altitude peaks form part of the Afromon- Malawi has a continental climate with large tane Archipelago-like RCE. As with the Afromon- seasonal temperature variations. The altitude of tane RCE, the Eastern Regional Mosaic has a the country moderates what would otherwise be discontinuous distribution in the lowland forest an equatorial climate. In the southern, low-lying areas of Malawi (Dowsett-Lemaire, 2001a). Key areas the climate is hot with mean annual tem- areas of high endemism include Mt. Mulanje in peratures of 24°–25°C, while it is temperate in the the south and the Nyika Plateau in the north northern highlands (18°–21°C) and even cool (Msekandiana & Mlangeni, 2002; Burrows & (13°–15°C) at elevations above 2,000 m. The sum- Willis, 2005). mer rainy season is between November and April Malawi harbours approximately 5,000–6,000 when the temperature is warm and equatorial plant species (Msekandiana & Mlangeni, 2002). rains and thunderstorms are experienced. Rain- A preliminary Red Data List assessment listed a fall and severity of storms reaches a peak in late total of 248 taxa in Malawi of which ± 128 taxa March. Thereafter rainfall rapidly diminishes (50%) were regarded as threatened (Critically En- into the dry season (between May to September). dangered, Endangered or Vulnerable). Of the 248 Moist maritime air from the Mozambique Chan- taxa listed, a total of ± 114 (50%) are regarded as nel reaches Malawi and causes so-called chiper- endemic, and a further 31 (13%) as near-endemic, one weather: periodic spells of mist, drizzle or to the country (Msekandiana & Mlangeni, 2002). even rain in the dry season. Mean annual rainfall varies considerably between different parts of the Malawian aloes country: from ± 700 mm in certain areas to over The predominantly African genus Aloe comprises 3,000 mm at the mouth of the Songwe River on a total of almost 600 taxa with an exclusive Old the Tanzanian border (Chapman & White, 1970; World distribution (Carter et al., 2011). It is a Dowsett-Lemaire, 2001a; http://en.wikipedia.org/ conspicuous component of many African land- wiki/Malawi). scapes and Malawi is no exception. The country The varied topography, altitudinal range (37– harbours a total of 21 aloes of which three (14%) 3,002 m) and rainfall present in Malawi are re- are endemic and a further three (14%) near- flected in the rich mosaic of habitats found in this endemic (Table 1). relatively small country. The vegetation predom- Additionally, Lane (2004) treats at least nine inantly consists of miombo woodland, with vari- forms or possible new taxa, which are insuffi- ous types of Zambezian woodland and deciduous ciently known. These are often only known from Bradleya 30/2012 67 Table 1. Checklist of endemic and near-endemic Aloe taxa of Malawi, as well as an indication of their threatened status in the country (E – endemic; NE – near endemic; CR – critically endangered; EN – endangered; VU – vulnerable; LC – least concern). Species E NE CR EN VU LC A. arborescens ● A. buchananii ● ● A.
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