Taxonomic Treatment of Blighia K.D.Koenig occurring in Ghana.

Blighia, a genus consisting of trees in the Sapindaceae, is found in sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the world. It is characterized by three species globally: B. unijugata Baker, B. sapida K.D. Koenig, and B. welwitschii (Hiern) Radlk but B. unijugata is absent in Ghana. Research on Blighia in West Africa has been primarily conducted in Nigeria, Togo, and Benin. However, the taxonomy of the genus is lacking in West Africa, with the Flora of West Tropical Africa being the only authoritative literature. A revision of this genus in Ghana is needed due to the monotonous concentration of research on B. sapida and the knowledge gap from Hutchinson & Dalziel. This paper seeks to update the taxonomy of members in Blighia occurring in Ghana. The study collected specimens of Blighia sapida and B. welwitschii from 15 localities across Ghana. Fossil records, voucher specimens, and digital collections obtained from the Ghana Herbarium and GBIF respectively, were also examined. Standard georeferencing software was used to generate distribution maps. B. sapida produces oblanceolate or obovate leaves with rounded or emarginate apices and acute bases. They are mostly distributed along the coastal belt of the country while B. welwitschii produces lanceolate leaves with bluntly attenuate or acute apices and cuneate bases. They are however distributed mainly in the middle belt of the country.