''Baphia'' is a small genus of

legume Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

s that bear simple leaves. ''Baphia'' is from the Greek word βάπτω (''báptō-'', "to dip" or "to dye"), referring to a red dye that is extracted from the heartwood of tropical species. The genus is restricted to the African tropics. ''Baphia'' was traditionally assigned to the tribe

Sophoreae The tribe (biology), tribe Sophoreae is one of the subdivisions of the plant family (biology), family Fabaceae. Traditionally this tribe has been used as a wastebasket taxon to accommodate genera of Faboideae which exhibit actinomorphic, rather t ...

; however, recent

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

analyses reassigned ''Baphia'' to the tribe

Baphieae The tribe Baphieae is one of the subdivisions of the plant family Fabaceae. The Baphieae tribe arose 55.3 ± 0.4 million years ago (in the early Eocene). Genera The Baphieae tribe has been circumscribed to include the following genera, whi ...

Species

''Baphia'' comprises the following species:

Section ''Alata'' M.O.Soladoye

* ''

Baphia cordifolia ''Baphia'' is a small genus of legumes that bear simple leaves. ''Baphia'' is from the Greek word βάπτω (''báptō-'', "to dip" or "to dye"), referring to a red dye that is extracted from the heartwood of tropical species. The genus is restr ...

'' Harms

Section ''Baphia'' Lodd.

Series ''Baphia'' Lodd.

* '' Baphia abyssinica'' Brummitt * ''

Baphia dewevrei ''Baphia'' is a small genus of legumes that bear simple leaves. ''Baphia'' is from the Greek word βάπτω (''báptō-'', "to dip" or "to dye"), referring to a red dye that is extracted from the heartwood of tropical species. The genus is restr ...

'' De Wild. * '' Baphia dewildeana'' M.O.Soladoye * '' Baphia latiloi'' M.O.Soladoye * ''

Baphia laurifolia ''Baphia'' is a small genus of legumes that bear simple leaves. ''Baphia'' is from the Greek word βάπτω (''báptō-'', "to dip" or "to dye"), referring to a red dye that is extracted from the heartwood of tropical species. The genus is restr ...

'' Baillon * ''

Baphia longipedicellata ''Baphia longipedicellata'' is a species of plant in the family Fabaceae. Subspecies ''keniensis'' is found only in Kenya and is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a na ...

'' De Wild. ** subsp. ''keniensis'' (Brummitt) M.O.Soladoye ** subsp. ''longipedicellata'' De Wild. * ''

Baphia mambillensis ''Baphia'' is a small genus of legumes that bear simple leaves. ''Baphia'' is from the Greek word βάπτω (''báptō-'', "to dip" or "to dye"), referring to a red dye that is extracted from the heartwood of tropical species. The genus is restr ...

'' M.O.Soladoye * ''

Baphia marceliana ''Baphia'' is a small genus of legumes that bear simple leaves. ''Baphia'' is from the Greek word βάπτω (''báptō-'', "to dip" or "to dye"), referring to a red dye that is extracted from the heartwood of tropical species. The genus is restr ...

'' De Wild. ** subsp. ''marceliana'' De Wild. ** subsp. ''marquesii'' (M.Exell) M.O.Soladoye * ''

Baphia nitida ''Baphia nitida'', also known as camwood, barwood, and African sandalwood (although not a true sandalwood), is a shrubby, leguminous, hard-wooded tree from central west Africa. It is a small understorey, evergreen tree, often planted in villages ...

'' Lodd. (

Camwood ''Baphia nitida'', also known as camwood, barwood, and African sandalwood (although not a true sandalwood), is a shrubby, leguminous, hard-wooded tree from central west Africa. It is a small understorey, evergreen tree, often planted in villag ...

) * '' Baphia pauloi'' Brummitt * ''

Baphia pubescens ''Baphia pubescens'' is a medium size tree common in Guineo-Congolian forest. It is known as in the Akan language of Ghana. It is a pioneer species associated with acidic soils in Ghana. It thrives in the forest understory. There are medicina ...

'' Hook.f. * '' Baphia puguensis'' Brummitt * ''

Baphia punctulata ''Baphia'' is a small genus of legumes that bear simple leaves. ''Baphia'' is from the Greek word βάπτω (''báptō-'', "to dip" or "to dye"), referring to a red dye that is extracted from the heartwood of tropical species. The genus is restr ...

'' Harms ** subsp. ''descampsii'' (De Wild.) M.O.Soladoye ** subsp. ''palmensis'' M.O.Soladoye ** subsp. ''punctulata'' Harms

Series ''Contiguinae'' M.O.Soladoye

* ''

Baphia angolensis ''Baphia'' is a small genus of legumes that bear simple leaves. ''Baphia'' is from the Greek word βάπτω (''báptō-'', "to dip" or "to dye"), referring to a red dye that is extracted from the heartwood of tropical species. The genus is restr ...

'' Baker * ''

Baphia brachybotrys ''Baphia'' is a small genus of legumes that bear simple leaves. ''Baphia'' is from the Greek word βάπτω (''báptō-'', "to dip" or "to dye"), referring to a red dye that is extracted from the heartwood of tropical species. The genus is restr ...

'' Harms * '' Baphia breteleriana'' M.O.Soladoye * '' Baphia buettneri'' Harms ** subsp. ''buettneri'' Harms ** subsp. ''hylophila'' (Harms) M.O.Soladoye * '' Baphia gossweileri'' Baker f. * '' Baphia incerta'' De Wild. ** subsp. ''incerta'' De Wild. ** subsp. ''lebrunii'' (L.Touss.) M.O.Soladoye * '' Baphia leptostemma'' Baillon ** subsp. ''gracilipes'' (Harms) M.O.Soladoye *** var. ''gracilipes'' (Harms) M.O.Soladoye *** var. ''conraui'' (Harms) M.O.Soladoye ** subsp. ''leptostemma'' Baillon * '' Baphia preussii'' Harms * '' Baphia obanensis'' Baker f. * '' Baphia wollastonii'' Baker f.

Series ''Spathaceae'' M.O.Soladoye

* '' Baphia eriocalyx'' Harms * '' Baphia spathacea'' Hook.f. ** subsp. ''polyantha'' (Harms) M.O.Soladoye ** subsp. ''spathacea'' Hook.f.

Section ''Bracteolaria'' (Hochst.) Benth.

* '' Baphia aurivellera'' Taubert * '' Baphia capparidifolia'' Baker ** subsp. ''bangweolensis'' (R.E.Fries) Brummitt ** subsp. ''capparidifolia'' Baker ** subsp. ''multiflora'' (Harms) Brummitt ** subsp. ''polygalacea'' Brummitt * '' Baphia dubia'' De Wild. * '' Baphia heudelotiana'' Baillon * '' Baphia kirkii'' Baker ** subsp. ''kirkii'' Baker ** subsp. ''ovata'' (Sim) M.O.Soladoye * '' Baphia laurentii'' De Wild.

Section ''Longibracteolatae'' (Lester-Garland) M.O.Soladoye

Series ''Chrysophyllae'' M.O.Soladoye

* '' Baphia burttii'' Baker f. * '' Baphia chrysophylla'' Taubert ** subsp. ''chrysophylla'' Taubert ** subsp. ''claessensii'' (De Wild.) Brummitt * '' Baphia cuspidata'' Taubert * '' Baphia massaiensis'' Taubert ** subsp. ''busseana'' (Harms) M.O.Soladoye ** subsp. ''floribunda'' Brummitt ** subsp. ''gomesii'' (Baker f.) Brummitt ** subsp. ''massaiensis'' Taubert ** subsp. ''obovata'' (Schinz) Brummitt *** var. ''cornifolia'' (Harms) M.O.Soladoye *** var. ''obovata'' (Schinz) M.O.Soladoye *** var. ''whitei'' (Brummitt) M.O.Soladoye * '' Baphia speciosa'' J.B.Gillett & Brummitt

Series ''Macranthae'' M.O.Soladoye

* '' Baphia bequaertii'' De Wild. * '' Baphia letestui'' Pellegrin * '' Baphia maxima'' Baker

Series ''Striatae'' (Lester Garland) M.O.Soladoye

* '' Baphia leptobotrys'' Harms ** subsp. ''leptobotrys'' Harms ** subsp. ''silvatica'' (Harms) M.O.Soladoye * '' Baphia pilosa'' Baillon ** subsp. ''batangensis'' (Harms) M.O.Soladoye ** subsp. ''pilosa'' Baillon

Section ''Macrobaphia'' Harms emend. M.O.Soladoye

* '' Baphia bergeri'' De Wild. * '' Baphia macrocalyx'' Harms * '' Baphia semseiana'' Brummitt

''Incertae sedis''

* '' Baphia cymosa'' Breteler * '' Baphia madagascariensis'' (A.Heller) A.Heller

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved: * ''Baphia glauca'' A. Chev. * ''Baphia longepetiolata'' Taub. * ''Baphia madagascariensis'' C.H. Stirt. & Du Puy * ''Baphia megaphylla'' Breteler * ''Baphia radcliffei'' Baker f. In 2023, a new species, ''Baphia arenicola'' was discovered growing in the deep sandy highland region of central

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

, part of the Kalahari sands, and was formally described to science. The floral characters most morphologically similar to ''Baphia massaiensis'' but with certain characters also comparable to ''Baphia bequaertii,'' with all three species found growing in the same region. Preliminary molecular analysis places the new taxon close to ''Baphia bequaertii.'' Whilst most ''Baphia'' form above ground shrubs and trees, ''Baphia arenicola'' grows as a geoxylic

suffrutex A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or undershrub is either a small shrub (e.g. prostrate shrubs) or a perennial that is largely herbaceous but slightly woody at the base (e.g. garden pink and florist's chrysanthemum). The term is often interchang ...

(often described as " underground trees") with most of its woody tissue growing buried deep within the sand and its flowering parts just above ground level.

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q3314278 Fabaceae genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Plant dyes Flora of the Afrotropical realm