Nicotiana in the African Namib - A plant geographical and phylogenetic puzzle. On several isolated mountains in the middle Namib (South West Africa), a strange Nicotiana has been found growing only in the full shade of granite rocks. It proved to be an unknown species which is described here as Nicotiana africana, referring to the fact that it is the first African member of the genus otherwise known so far only from America, the South Pacific and Australia. Its taxonomic position is rather obscure: although it might be placed best in subg. Petunioides, several characters recall also sub- genera Rustica and Tabacum, respectively. That it might be a hybrid product of the few species naturalized or cultivated in Africa can be excluded; and that it might be a recent long range dispersal of a still unknown species or hybrid from other continents looks highly improbable. It probably, therefore, can be considered as an endemic relict of considerable age. It may form a parallel to the sect. Suaveolentes, endemic to Australia and the S. Pacific, with which it agrees in being dysploid (2n = 46). A more detailed discussion of these problems, as well as our cytological investigations will be published later.