Afrothismia

Afrothismia
Illustrations of Afrothismia pachyantha
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Dioscoreales
Family:	Burmanniaceae
Genus:	Afrothismia Schltr. [1] [2]
Type species
Afrothismia winkleri (Engl.) Schltr. [3]
Species
See text

Afrothismia is a genus of myco-heterotrophic plants in the family Burmanniaceae, first described as a genus in 1906. It is native to tropical Africa. ^{[1] [4]}

Species

As of April 2025 ^[update] , Plants of the World Online accepts the following 17 species: ^[1]

• Afrothismia amietii Cheek – Cameroon
• Afrothismia baerae Cheek – Kenya
• Afrothismia foertheriana T.Franke, Sainge & Agerer – Cameroon
• Afrothismia fungiformis Sainge & Kenfack
• Afrothismia gabonensis Dauby & Stévart – Gabon
• Afrothismia gesnerioides H.Maas – Cameroon
• Afrothismia hydra Sainge & T.Franke – Cameroon
• Afrothismia insignis Cowley – Tanzania
• Afrothismia korupensis Sainge & T.Franke – Cameroon
• Afrothismia kupensis Cheek & S.A.Williams
• Afrothismia mhoroana Cheek – Morogoro in Tanzania
• Afrothismia pachyantha Schltr. – Cameroon
• Afrothismia pusilla Sainge & Kenfack
• Afrothismia saingei T.Franke – Cameroon, Gabon
• Afrothismia ugandensis Cheek – Uganda
• Afrothismia winkleri (Engl.) Schltr. – Cameroon
• Afrothismia zambesiaca Cheek – Malawi

References

1. "Afrothismia Schltr". Plants of the World Online . Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2025. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
2. "Afrothismia Schltr". World Flora Online . World Flora Online Consortium. 2025. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
3. Cheek, Martin; Gomez, Marybel Soto; Graham, Sean W.; Rudall, Paula J. (2023). "Afrothismiaceae (Dioscoreales), a new fully mycoheterotrophic family endemic to tropical Africa". Kew Bulletin. 79: 55–73. doi:10.1007/s12225-023-10124-w.
4. "Afrothismia Schltr". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. 2025. Retrieved 12 April 2025.