Spirostachys Explained

Spirostachys is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1850.^{[1] [2]} It is native to Africa.^{[3] [4]} Zuloaga, F. O., O. Morrone, M. J. Belgrano, C. Marticorena & E. Marchesi. (eds.) 2008. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares del Cono Sur. Monographs in systematic botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 107(1–3): i–xcvi, 1–3348.

The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek speiros = spiral, stachys = spike, in allusion to the spiral arrangement of the florets on the flower spike.

Species^[3]

1. Spirostachys africana Sond. - E + SE + S Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Province)
2. Spirostachys venenifera (Pax) Pax - Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania

formerly included^[3] moved to other genera (Excoecaria Spegazziniophytum)

1. Spirostachys madagascariensis, syn of Excoecaria madagascariensis
2. Spirostachys patagonica, syn of Spegazziniophytum patagonicum

names in AmaranthaceaeThe same genus name, Spirostachys, was used twice to name genera in the Amaranthaceae. Thus were created two illegitimate homonyms, unacceptable according to the rules of nomenclature. The species assigned to these genera have been placed in the genera Allenrolfea and Heterostachys, as follows:^[5]

1. Spirostachys occidentalis (S. Watson) S. Watson 1874, now Allenrolfea occidentalis (S.Watson) Kuntze
2. Spirostachys olivascens Speg. 1902, now Heterostachys olivascens (Speg.) Molfino
3. Spirostachys ritteriana (Moq.) Ung.-Sternb. 1866, now Heterostachys ritteriana (Moq.) Ung.-Sternb.
4. Spirostachys vaginata Griseb. 1874, now Allenrolfea vaginata (Griseb.) Kuntze
5. Spirostachys vaginata Benth. & Hook.f. - unresolved

Notes and References

1. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/110832#page/109/mode/1up Sonder, Otto Wilhelm. 1850. Linnaea : Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange 23: 106
2. http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40003814 Tropicos, Spirostachys Sond.
3. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/acceptedRef.do?name_id=194610 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
4. Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) 1-4: 1-1622. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
5. http://www.tropicos.org/NameSearch.aspx?name=Falconeria&commonname= Tropicos, search for name Falconeria