Breeding system and ecological traits of the critically endangered endemic plant Limonium barceloi (Gil and Llorens) (Plumbaginaceae)

SummaryWe revise and update the records of strict and near-endemic species of Mt Kupe, Cameroon respectively from 31 strict endemics in 2004, to 25 today, and with near-endemic species 30, unchanged in number but with turnover. The changes result from new collections, discoveries and taxonomic changes in the last 16 years. While 15 of the provisionally named putative endemic species have now been formally published, a further 18 have not. The majority of the 30 near-endemic species (18) are shared with the adjacent Bakossi Mts, far exceeding the numbers shared with the more distant Mt Etinde-Mt Cameroon, Rumpi Hills and Ebo forest areas (sharing three near-endemic species each with Mt Kupe). We test the hypothesis that a further one of the provisionally named putative Mt Kupe species, Vepris sp. 1 from submontane forest near the summit, is indeed new to science. We compare it morphologically with the two other bicarpellate high altitude Cameroon Highland tree species V. montisbambutensis Onana and V. bali Cheek, concluding that it is a new undescribed species here named as Vepris zapfackii. The new species is illustrated and its conservation status assessed as Critically Endangered using the 2012 IUCN standard, due to habitat clearance from agricultural pressures at its sole location which is unprotected. Vepris zapfackii and V. bali appear unique in African trifoliolate species of the genus in having opposite leaves. Vepris zapfackii differs in having hairy petiolules and midribs and petiolules with the blade decurrent distally, narrowing towards a winged-canaliculate base (vs glabrous and petiolule long, terete), and sparsely golden hairy pistillodes and a glabrous calyx (vs densely black hairy pistillodes, and sepals hairy).

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Conservation of Britain’s biodiversity: Distribution and status of the Welsh endemic Hieracium breconicola, Beacons Hawkweed (Asteraceae)

British & Irish Botany ◽

10.33928/bib.2021.03.052 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sarah J. Lee ◽

Timothy C.G. Rich

Keyword(s):

Critically Endangered ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Conservation Action ◽

Field Surveys ◽

Threat Status ◽

In The Wild

Hieracium breconicola P.D. Sell, Beacons Hawkweed, is a Welsh endemic plant confined to the Brecon Beacons. Field surveys 2009-2020 indicate only one plant survives in one of its three sites. The IUCN threat status is ‘Critically Endangered’; unless conservation action is undertaken soon, this species will soon be extinct in the wild.

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Reintroduction of Tigridiopalma magnifica C. Chen, a Critically Endangered Endemic Plant in China

Conservation and Reintroduction of Rare and Endangered Plants in China ◽

10.1007/978-981-15-5301-1_7 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 125-131

Author(s):

Songjun Zeng ◽

Hai Ren ◽

Longna Li ◽

Kunlin Wu

Keyword(s):

Critically Endangered ◽

Endemic Plant

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Pseudohydrosme bogneri sp. nov. (Araceae), a spectacular Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) species from Gabon, long confused with Anchomanes nigritianus

10.1101/2021.03.25.437040 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lois Moxon-Holt ◽

Martin Cheek

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Plant Species ◽

Critically Endangered ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Global Extinction ◽

Fourth Species ◽

The Moment ◽

Endemic Plant Species ◽

A New Species

SummaryA Gabonese taxon cultivated for decades in the botanic gardens of Europe as Anchomanes nigritianus is shown to be a new species to science, and on current evidence, is best placed as the fourth species of the Gabonese-centred, poorly known genus Pseudohydrosme. Data on the morphological separation between Anchomanes and Pseudohydrosme are reviewed. Although phylogenomic studies may show in future that the two genera need to be merged, for the moment their separation is reinforced on morphological grounds. Anchomanes lacks the spathe tube, ovoid-globose, 2 – 4 locular pistil and thick, lobed stigma on a symmetric, stout style that we show to characterise the redelimited Pseudohydrosme. (Anchomanes has oblong, polygonal, 1-locular pistils, stigmas asymmetric, sessile, thin and disc-like or on asymmetrical conical styles and are pointed or brush-like). In addition, Pseudohydrosme (where known) has stipitate (versus sessile) fruits and on current evidence lacks the lacticifers recorded from Anchomanes. We test the hypothesis that the taxon is a new species to science, naming it as Pseudohydrosme bogneri, and conclude that it is Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) using the IUCN 2012 standard. Pseudohydrosme bogneri appears to be the tenth documented probable global extinction of a plant species that has occurred among the narrowly endemic plant species of the Libreville area, Gabon.

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Flower visitors of Streptocarpus teitensis: implications for conservation of a critically endangered African violet species in Kenya

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.10473 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e10473

Author(s):

Mark Otieno ◽

Neelendra Joshi ◽

Benjamin Rutschmann

Keyword(s):

Breeding System ◽

Fruit Set ◽

Safety Net ◽

Critically Endangered ◽

Flower Visitors ◽

Critically Endangered Species ◽

African Violet ◽

Cross Pollination ◽

Self Pollination ◽

Published Evidence

Background The African violets are endangered plant species restricted mainly to the Eastern Arc Mountains biodiversity hotspots in Kenya and Tanzania. These plants grow well in shaded environments with high humidity. Given their restricted geographical range and published evidence of dependance on insect vectors to facilitate sexual reproduction, understanding their pollination biology is vital for their survival. Methods We conducted an empirical study using flower visitor observations, pan trapping and bagging experiments to establish the role of flower visitors in the fruit set of a locally endemic and critically endangered species of African violet in Taita Hills, Kenya, Streptocarpus teitensis. Results The study found that fruit set is increased by 47.8% in S. teitensis when flowers are visited by insects. However, it is important to note the presence of putative autogamy suggesting S. teitensis could have a mixed breeding system involving self-pollination and cross-pollination since bagged flowers produced 26.9% fruit set. Conclusions Insects appear to be essential flower visitors necessary for increased fruit set in S. teitensis. However, there is evidence of a mixed breeding system involving putative self-pollination and cross-pollination suggesting that S. teitensis is somewhat shielded from the negative effects of pollinator losses. Consequently, S. teitensis appears to be protected to a degree from the risks such as reproduction failure associated with pollinator losses by the presence of a safety net in putative self-pollination.

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Creating new populations of Apium bermejoi (Apiaceae), a critically endangered endemic plant on Menorca (Balearic Islands)

Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid ◽

10.3989/ajbm.2303 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

pp. 27-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Juan Rita ◽

Joana Cursach

Keyword(s):

Balearic Islands ◽

Critically Endangered ◽

Endemic Plant

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Uvariopsis dicaprio (Annonaceae) a new tree species with notes on its pollination biology, and the Critically Endangered narrowly endemic plant species of the Ebo Forest, Cameroon

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.12614 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e12614

Author(s):

George Gosline ◽

Martin Cheek ◽

Jean Michel Onana ◽

Eric Ngansop Tchatchouang ◽

Xander M. van der Burgt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Threatened Species ◽

Pollination Biology ◽

Critically Endangered ◽

Evergreen Forest ◽

Herbarium Specimens ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Littoral Region ◽

Centre Of Diversity ◽

A New Species

Background The Ebo Forest area is a highly threatened centre of diversity in the Littoral Region of Cameroon, globally important for conservation with many threatened species including 68 threatened species of plant, yet not formally protected. The tropical African evergreen forest tree genus Uvariopsis Engl. & Diels (Annonaceae) is characterised by unisexual, usually cauliflorous flowers with a uniseriate corolla of four petals, and two sepals. Cameroon is the centre of diversity of the genus with 14 of the 19 known species. Methods The herbarium collection MacKinnon 51 from Ebo is hypothesized to represent a new species to science of Uvariopsis. This hypothesis is tested by the study of herbarium specimens from a number of herbaria known to hold important collections from Cameroon and surrounding countries. Results We test the hypothesis that MacKinnon 51 represents a new species to science, using the most recent dichotomous identification key, and comparing it morphologically with reference material of all known species of the genus. We make a detailed comparative morphological study focussing on three other Cameroonian species, Uvariopsis solheidii, U. korupensis and the sympatric U. submontana. In the context of a review of the pollination biology of Uvariopsis, we speculate that in a genus otherwise with species with dull, flesh-coloured (pink, red to brown) flowers pollinated (where known) by diptera, orthoptera and blattodea (flies, crickets and cockroaches), the glossy, pale yellow-green flowers of Uvariopsis dicaprio, with additional traits unique in the genus, may be pollinated by nocturnal moths. Based on MacKinnon 51, we formally name Uvariopsis dicaprio Cheek & Gosline (Annonaceae) as new to science, and we describe, and illustrate, and map it. Restricted so far to a single site in evergreen forest in the Ebo Forest, Littoral Region, Cameroon, Uvariopsis dicaprio is provisionally assessed as Critically Endangered using the IUCN, 2012 standard because the forest habitat of this species remains unprotected, and there exist imminent threats of logging and conversion to plantations. Discussion We show that the highest density of species of the genus (12), and of narrow endemics (5), is found in the Cross-Sanaga Interval of SE Nigeria and Western Cameroon. A revised key to the 14 Cameroonian species of Uvariopsis is presented. We review the other seven narrowly endemic and threatened species unique to the Ebo forest of Cameroon and discuss the phytogeographic affinities of the area. Conclusions Uvariopsis dicaprio adds to the growing list of species threatened with extinction at Ebo Forest due to current anthropogenic pressures.

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