| A taxonomic revision of the tropical genus Stephanodaphne Baill. (Thymelaeaceae: Thymelaeoideae) based on morphology is provided. Nine species are accepted, eight endemic to Madagascar, and one endemic to Mayotte, a nearby island in the Comoro Island group. Three previously described species, Stephanodaphne capitata Leandri, S. oblongifolia Leandri, and S. pulchra Leandri, are newly placed into synonymy with S. geminata Leandri. Three new species are described and illustrated, S. pedicellata Z. S. Rogers, S. pilosa Z. S. Rogers, and S. schatzii Z. S. Rogers. The taxonomic treatment includes a key to species, full descriptions, distribution maps, and a conservation assessment for all nine species. According to IUCN (2001) criteria, five narrowly endemic species qualify as endangered: S. cremostachya Baill., S. cuspidata Leandri, S. humbertii Leandri, S. perrieri Leandri, S. schatzii. One species, S. pedicellata, known only from the type collection, should be considered critically endangered. |
