Aristea ranomafana Goldblatt, a new species of Iridaceae from Madagascar

Aristea ranomafana is a new species of the Afro-Madagascan genus Aristea Aiton, restricted to a few open habitats in the Parc National de Ranomafana in east-central Madagascar. It appears to be most closely related to the fairly widespread Madagascan A. kitchingii Baker, but differs from it most notably in the repeatedly branched, compound inflorescence with three orders of branching, broad leaves 9 -12 mm wide, and broad tepals, the outer whorl of which are 12 10 mm. In the critical rhipidial spathe and floral bract characters, capsule and seed size, and staminal features, including presence of porate anthers and zonasulculate pollen grains, A. ranomafana accords most closely with A. kitchingii.