A Catalogue of the Plants of Madagascar

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A Catalogue of the Plants of Madagascar
A 5-year collaborative project to catalogue the
vascular plants of Madagascar

• Peter B. Phillipson
• George E. Schatz
• Porter P. Lowry II

Missouri Botanical Garden
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Madagascar Global Hotspot

• Centre of diversity (12,000? species)
• Centre of endemism (80, 90, 90? species
  endemism)
• Critical human pressure on ecosystems/biodiversity

From Myers et al. 2000
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Why a Catalogue?

• Provide set of names in current use
• Provide statistics the numbers game
• How many endemics?
• Where are they located?
• Prioritise areas for conservation.
• Collate dispersed literature, and other
  information
• Stimulate research
• highlight gaps
• encourage more detailed studies as necessary
  (Systematics, Ecology, etc.)
• Framework for present and future efforts to
  document the flora
• Address targets of the Global Strategy for Plant
  Conservation (GSPC)
• Why now?
• many new treatments
• many new collections
• Urgently needed by end-users in Madagascar

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What will the Catalogue cover?

• Vascular Plants
• Madagascar only (not Comoros)
• Native species
• Naturalized species
• Modern Family alignments

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What will the Catalogue contain?

• Nomenclature and Types
• Synonymy
• Habit
• Habitat
• Distribution (Bioclimatic, Provincial, Protected
  Areas)
• Conservation Status and Rarity

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What will the Catalogue look like?

• Printed version
• Web-based database
• text
• maps
• images (Types, vouchers)
• link to TROPICOS data
• phylogeny
• Images on CD?
• Associated series of published articles

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The Printed Version
FAMILY Asteropeiaceae 1 endemic genus, 8
endemic species.
GENUS Asteropeia Thouars Syn. Rhodoclada
Baker 8 endemic species. Ref. Schatz et al.,
1999.
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The Printed Version
ACCEPTED SPECIES Asteropeia amblyocarpa
Tul. Syn. Asteropeia amblyocarpa Tul. var.
longifolia H. Perrier, nomen inval. Asteropeia
rhopaloides (Baker) Baill. var. angustata H.
Perrier, nomen inval., pro parte. Endemic. Shrub
or tree. Subhumid and Dry, Forest and Woodland.
0-2000 m. Prov. ANTA, ANTS, FIAN, MAHA, TOLI PA
Andohahela, Andringitra, Ankarafantsika Cons.
Stat. LC Type Bernier 281 (HT P IT
P) Voucher C. Birkinshaw et al. 725 (MO, P, TAN).
SYNONYMS Asteropeia amblyocarpa Tul. var.
longifolia H. Perrier, nomen inval. Asteropeia
amblyocarpa Tul.
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The Printed Version
PRESENTATION File Bound to enable easy
replacement of out-of-date pages available
through web-site
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The Web Version .
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Click here
Browse for specific data in database
Search for specific data in database
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(No Transcript)
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Click here
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Accepted name in bold
Synonym not bold
Click here for more details
Generate replacement text for printed version
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Voucher
Full information printed version
Type
Fianarantsoa Toliara
Subhumid Dry
Andringitra Isalo
Maps clickable for area-based information
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Click here
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Peter Stevens Angiosperm Phylogeny Web-site
Ordinal level Malagasy Clades and Orders in red
Click on Clade or Order for next level detail here
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Family level Malagasy clades and orders in red
Caryophyllales
Click on clade to get further expansion (if
available)
Click family name to get Catalogue record
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Click here for data subset (species list) for
selected Bioclimatic Region
Click here for data subset (species list) for
selected Province
Click here for data subset (species list) for
selected Protected Area
Click here for data subset (species list) for
selected Conservation Status category
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How will we produce the catalogue?

• Review existing taxonomic treatments assess
  Taxon
• Recent Flora or Monograph
• Old Flora or Revision new material available
• substantial revision required
• minor amendments required
• No revision available
• Revision currently in progress
• Worldwide Monograph
• African / Mascarene revision(s) available
• literature of individual species descriptions.

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How will we produce the catalogue?

• Capture existing good treatments
• Undertake minor revisionary work
• Produce synoptic revisions (see examples of
  Mimusops and Desmostachys)
• Describe individual new species
• Nomenclature, (Nomenclatural Notes)
• Find contributors currently working on groups
• Mentor students

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Flore de Madagascar a basis
What has been done?

• 178 families out of 222 (80) treated in full
• Some treatments over 50 years old

• Some older flora volumes replaced by new
  revisions, e.g.
• most endemic families
• Arecaceae
• Iridaceae

• of the remaining 44 non-treated families, some
  modern treatments are available, notably Fabaceae

• other non-treated families, some flora treatment
  /revisions are in advanced stages of
  preparation/publication, including parts of some
  large families e.g.
• Apiaceae Euphorbiaceae (in part)
• Araliaceae Rubiaceae (in part)
• Asclepiadaceae

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Flore de Madagascar
What remains largely untouched?

• small families, e.g.
• Rosaceae
• Geraniaceae

• large/medium-sized families, e.g.
• Ericaceae
• Poaceae

• parts of some large families, notably
• Euphorbiaceae
• Rubiaceae
• Acanthaceae

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What have we done so far?

• Review of LAMIACEAE (Fl Mad 1998)
• CONVOLVULACEAE (Fl Mad 2002) ? minor
  changes
• Synoptic Revisions completed
• Endemic families, e.g. SARCOLAENACEAE
• Other out-dated flora treatments, e.g. Buxus
• Synoptic Revisions in progress
• Endemic families, e.g. DIDYMELACEAE
• Other out-dated flora treatments, e.g. Brexia,
  Desmostachys, Mimusops, Tacca, Xerophyta,
• Revision / Flora treatment of small families in
  progress
• GERANIACEAE
• ROSACEAE

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Progress since Flore de Madagascar
Net decrease
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Reflections

• 12,000 spp. may still be an underestimate for the
  total vascular plant flora of Madagascar
• In 1959 the number of species recorded from
  Madagascar was estimated at 7,900 (Humbert)
• By 1992 the increase was estimated at 1445 (18),
  giving a total of 9345 (Phillipson)
• The rate of adding species seems to have
  increased, are we now adding 74 to 1959 levels
  across the board?
• If so, available figures suggests a total flora
  of 13,700 species!
• Species endemism still looks to be over 90 in
  many taxa
• Hopefully we will have a more reliable estimate
  in 5 years time!
• The first edition of the Catalogue will be a
  starting point
• Later editions may include other data what?

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The End
Thilachium pouponii