Format: ORAL

Abdulwakeel A. Ajao, Tlou S. Manyelo, Annah N. Moteetee

Department of Botany and Pland Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

In southern Africa, the tribe Phaseoleae consists of ca. 185 indigenous, naturalized, and cultivated species distributed among 25 genera, namely, Alistulus, Cajanus, Clitoria, Decorsea, Dipogon, Dolichos, Dumasia, Eriosema, Erythrina, Flemingia, Galactia, Lablab, Macroptilium, Macrotyloma, Mucuna, Neonotonia, Neorautanenia, Nesphostylis, Ophrestia, Otoptera, Pueraria, Rhynchosia (including Bolusafra), Sphenostylis, Teramnus, and Vigna. A notable challenge in the current understanding of these genera lies in the absence of recent taxonomic revisions for some, resulting in a limited knowledge of their respective species. Furthermore, there is a dearth of information concerning intra- and intergeneric relationships within and between the tribes and genera of the Phaseoleae. This study presents advancements in taxonomic studies of the aforementioned genera and conducting phylogenetic analyses of the subtribes within Phaseoleae over the past decade. While several taxonomic revisionary studies have led to the discovery of new species and many combinations of names, some genera, such as Galactia, Eriosema, Teramnus, still require comprehensive taxonomic revision. Morphological studies revealed a number of characters that can be used to distinguish closely related species within genera, as well as within the subtribes and tribes. These include growth habit, stipule type, leaf indumentum, inflorescence type and length, calyx, and standard petals indumentum. In the realm of phylogenetic studies, our research on southern African Rhynchosia has confirmed the polyphyly of the genus within the Cajaninae subtribe. Additionally, the monophyly of Phaseolinae in southern Africa has been substantiated. This study delves into sectional changes within the genera of southern African Phaseoleae, addresses research gaps, and establishes a framework for future investigations into the phylogeny and taxonomy of prominent genera, with a particular emphasis on Eriosema in the region.