Revalidation of the African Biophytum helenae Busc. & Muschler (Oxalidaceae)

When working up the material of Biophytum (Oxalidaceae) present in the Rijksherbarium at Leyden I came upon an African specimen which according to the African Floras should be B. sensitivum (L.) DC. It differed, however, considerably from the Asian representatives of that species. Being curious to know whether B. sensitivum (L.) DC. occurs in Africa, which appeared to be important for its geographical distribution in conjunction with my revision of the Oxalidaceae for the Flora Malesiana, I could borrow, thanks to the kind cooperation of the directors of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Brussels, a large amount of African material of ‘B. sensitivum’, in all approximately 40 and 150 sheets respectively.