A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF CASSINE L S-STR (CASSINOIDEAE, CELASTRACEAE)

Cassine L. in southern Africa has been treated in a wide sense, as com prising several segregate genera, such as Elaeadendron Jacq., Lavridia Eckl. & Zeyh., Mystroxylon Eckl. & Zeyh. and Cassine s. str. New evid ence from palynology, macromorphology and anatomy supports the subdivi sion of Cassine s.l. into smaller, more homogeneous taxonomic units. C assine in the strict sense, as revised here, includes three species, o ne with three subspecies, of shrubs or trees endemic to southern Afric a. Most non-southern African species (approximately 30) previously ref erred to Cassine s.l. are best classified in Elaeodendron. The monotyp ic genus, Hartogiella Codd, is not maintained but reduced to synonomy under Cassine.