This taxon was previously placed in the genus Ceratotheca. The species that were previously classified in Ceratotheca are now considered to be genetically and morphologically indistinct from plants in the genus Sesamum and all species have thus been transferred.

The South African plant Sesamum sp. aff. reniforme appears to be worthy of recognition as distinct from the Angolan Sesamum reniforme, which has a similar leaf (Abels 1975), and a new name will no doubt soon be published for this, our plant. S. reniforme differs in being perennial, has larger flowers and occurs at higher altitudes in grassland (Abels 1975).

This plant first came to my attention in 2003 while investigating 'turf' soil vegetation on the Springbok flats for the presence of another species restricted to this habitat. I was drawn to the flowers which were noticeably more intensely coloured than any of the strains of Sesamum trilobum I knew from the Limpopo Province. Comparison with herbarium material confirmed that the leaves of S. trilobum were invariably trilobed, true to its botanical name. None had unlobed leaves like my plant, and what's more, the teeth on the leaf margin were much bigger! Subsequently I confirmed that Sesamum trilobum plants in similar habitats were in fact all of this nature. Differences had already been noted in 1993 by Guin Zambatis in the Kruger National Park, according to a specimen label in the National Herbarium.

Similar leaves led me to believe it might be S. reniforme, the name of which is derived from its kidney-shaped leaves (Abels 1975). This Angolan species, however, has flowers of a different shape and twice the size. Our plant thus now awaits a new name.

Other species in South Africa include the well-known Sesamum trilobum, and the Rare S. saxicola, a narrow endemic of the northeastern outlying ridges of the Soutpansberg (Abels 1975).