Armand Randrianasolo

Poupartiopsis gen. nov. and its Context in Anacardiaceae Classification

Abstract Poupartiopsis spondiocarpus, a modest-sized tree of littoral forests of eastern Madagascar, is recognized as a distinct genus and described. Emended descriptions and circumscriptions of the recognized subfamilies Spondioideae and Anacardioideae are provided, as are separate keys to the genera of Spondioideae based on flowering and fruiting material and a table of diagnostic characters for distinguishing the genera. Molecular phylogenetic analysis and structural data including leaf architecture, floral morphology, and endocarp structure place Poupartiopsis in the Spondioideae, one of two subfamilies in Anacardiaceae.

Application of IUCN criteria and Red List categories to species of five Anacardiaceae genera in Madagascar

The conservation status of five genera of Anacardiaceae in Madagascarwas determined by applying IUCN risk assessment criteria to recent taxonomicrevisions and available specimen data. A major problem in establishing protocolsfor efficiently protecting and conserving Madagascars biodiversity is the lackof essential biological information. In light of this, primary occurrence dataappears to be an invaluable tool for assessing both current and historic speciesdistributions. GIS technology was used to create species distribution maps forhistoric vs. recent occurrence data to analyze the change in conservationstatus, extent of occurrence, and area of occupancy for each of the targetspecies. A GAP analysis reveals that 14 (100%) of the target species for whichdata were available are considered threatened by IUCN standards. Furthermore, 11(79%) species showed a decrease both in the number of subpopulations and theirextent of occurrence when compared to historic distributions. This studyhighlights the importance of two factors necessary to address modernconservation questions. Sound conclusions regarding the conservation status ofindividual species requires a strong taxonomic framework and good collectiondata for a species distribution. However, because specimen data are very oftenincomplete and biased both geographically and taxonomically, reaching soundconclusions requires field knowledge of individual species to compensate forthese limitations.

Phylogenetic Split of Malagasy and African Taxa of Protorhus and Rhus (Anacardiaceae) Based on cpDNA trnL–trnF and nrDNA ETS and ITS Sequence Data

Abstract The African-Malagasy genus Protorhus and the African-Malagasy species of Rhus s.l. have been suggested to be polyphyletic, but definitive evidence has been lacking. We investigated a clade of Anacardiaceae subfamily Anacardioideae in order to clarify evolutionary relationships of the African-Malagasy members of these two genera. Phylogenetic analysis of sequence data from cpDNA trnL–trnF, and nrDNA ETS and ITS provide strong statistical support for the 1) polyphyly of Protorhus; 2) monophyly of Malagasy Protorhus species; 3) polyphyly of Rhus section Baronia (Malagasy Rhus). These results support the need for new circumscriptions of these groups. Two new combinations are proposed, Searsia erosa and Searsia pendulina.

Sampling a Diverse Flora for Novel Biochemicals: An Analysis of NCI Collections from Madagascar

An analysis of the taxonomic composition of 6,496 samples of plants collected for the National Cancer Institute is conducted and the results are presented. The results show that collecting has been highly biased towards woody plant families, as these species are often abundant, they yield samples of multiple parts, and it is often easy to collect sufficient material for isolation of chemicals present in low concentration. Conversely, herbaceous plants that are small or grow in sparse populations are underrepresented in collections. Three of the ten generically most diverse families in Madagascar have not been sampled, and of these ten families, only Rubiaceae and Euphorbiaceae have had greater numbers of samples collected than predicted if collecting was random. The causes of this bias are discussed, and solutions to ensure that bioprospecting efforts gather samples reflective of the diversity present are presented.ZusammenfassungUne analyze de la composition taxonomique de 6496 échantillons recoltés pour le National Cancer Institute est conduite et les resultants obtenus montrent que la récolte a été foretment biaisée, tendant pour une forte proportion des families des plantes ligneuses don’t les espèces sont souvent abondantes, peuvent fournir plusieurs sortes d’échantillon et souvent permettent facilement de collecter suffisament des matérielles pour l’isolation des composes chimiques presents à faible concentration. Contrairement, les plantes herbacées que sont de petites tailles our qui poussent avec des populations clairsemées sont sous representées dans les collections. Trois parmi les dix families génériquement les plus diversifies n’ont pas été recoltées, et de ces dix families, seules les Rubiaceae el les Euphorbiaceae ont eu les plus grands nombres d’échantillons que prévus si la récolte a été fait au hazard. Les cause de cette disproportion sont discutées et les solutions pour assurer que les efforts de bioprospection rassemblent des échantillons reflétant la diversité présente sont presentées.

Four new species and one new combination in the Malagasy endemic genus Micronychia Oliv. (Anacardiaceae)

Randrianasolo A. & Lowry II P. P. 2009. — Four new species and one new combination in the Malagasy endemic genus Micronychia Oliv. (Anacardiaceae). Adansonia, sér. 3, 31 (1): 157-168. ABSTRACT Four new species of the Malagasy endemic genus Micronychia ate described based on newly available material, and a previously recognized variety is elevated to the rank of species, bringing the total number of accepted species to 10, a two-fold increase. Illustrations are provided for each of the new taxa, along with preliminary assessments of their conservation status. An identification key in English and French is also included.

The most used medicinal plants by communities in Mahaboboka, Amboronabo, Mikoboka, Southwestern Madagascar

AbstractsBackgroundThis paper reports a study undertaken in three remote communities (Mahaboboka, Amboronabo, Mikoboka), located in Sakaraha, Southwestern Madagascar. Not only villages are far away from sanitary infrastructures and doctors but drugs and consulting fees are unaffordable to villagers. They rely essentially on natural resources for health care as for most of rural areas in Madagascar. This paper aims to document medicinal plants used by communities in Sakaraha and to present the most important plant species used in traditional medicine.MethodsSemi – structured interview was conducted within 214 informants in 34 villages of the study area. Different ailments encountered in the site study were classified in various categories. For data analysis, frequency of citation (Fq), Informant Consensus Factor (Fic), Fidelity Level (FL) and Use Value (UV) were assessed to find agreement among informants about the use of plants as remedies. Mann-Whitney, Kruskall-Wallis and Spearman correlation tests were performed to determine use of medicinal plants following social status of informants.ResultsA total of 235 medicinal plant species belonging to 198 genera and 75 families were inventoried. The richest families in species used for medicinal purposes were: Fabaceae, Apocynaceae, Rubiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Asteraceae, and Poaceae. Plant species cited by informants were used to treat 76 various ailments classified in 13 categories. Leaves and leafy twigs were the most used plant parts and decoction was the mostly cited way of preparation of these medicinal plants species. In average, local people cited 6.7 ± 6.03 medicinal taxa among them, Cedrelopsis grevei is the most cited medicinal plants (Fq. 0.28). With Cedrelopsis grevei (UV = 0.48), Henonia scoparia (UV = 0.43) are mostly used species. Leonotis nepetifolia (FL = 96%) and Strychnos henningsii (FL = 92%) are plant species claimed by high percentage of informants to treat the Digestive System Disorder.ConclusionsThis study highlighted that medicinal plants used by people from three communities in the Southwestern Madagascar are diverse. These plants species ensure care to all family members including babies, children, mothers and adult people. Through this study, newly reported medicinal plants were identified for further work.

A New Species of Poupartia (Anacardiaceae) from Madagascar

Poupartia orientalis Capuron ex A. Randrianasolo & J. S. Miller is described from Madagascar, and its distribution, habitat, and phe- nology are discussed. Poupartia orientalis is similar to P silvatica H. Perrier but is distinct in its ev- ergreen habit and subcoriaceous leaflets with fewer and less prominent tertiary veins. Poupartia Commerson is a genus presently con- sidered to comprise seven species restricted to Madagascar, the Mascarenes, and the Seychelles. Perrier de la Bathie (1946) recognized five species in Madagascar, but Poupartia caffra (Sonder) H. Perrier was transferred to Sclerocarya Hochstetter by Kokwaro (1986), and P. gummifera Sprague, a species that occurs in Madagascar and Seychelle Islands, was transferred to Operculicarya H. Perrier

Endemic Families of Madagascar. XIII. New, restricted range species of Eremolaena Baill. and Schizolaena Thouars (Sarcolaenaceae)

Abstract Lowry II, P. P., L. Nusbaumer, A. Randrianasolo, G. E. Schatz & C. Hong-Wa (2014). Endemic Families of Madagascar. XIII. New, restricted range species of Eremolaena Baill. and Schizolaena Thouars (Sarcolaenaceae). Candollea 69: 183–193. In English, French and English abstracts. One new species of Eremolaena Baill. and two new species of Schizolaena Thouars (belonging to the family Sarcolaenaceae) are described, illustrated and compared with the members of their respective genera they most closely resemble. Eremolaena darainensis Nusb. & Lowry is similar to Eremolaena rotundifolia (F. Gérard) Danguy but differs from it by features of the indument on the leaves and the sepals, and occurs only in the Loky-Manambato (Daraina) region of far north-eastern Madagascar, where it occurs in semi-deciduous forest on granite. Schizolaena charlotteae Lowry & G. E. Schatz resembles Schizolaena milleri Lowry & al. but is distinguished by differences in sepal indument, petal color, the number of stamens, and the length of the processes borne on the involucre in fruit. Schizolaena parvipetala Randrian. & Hong-Wa is similar to Schizolaena gereaui Lowry & al. but differs by petal size, leaf acumen length, the number of stamens, and the number of flowers per involucre. Both new species of Schizolaena Thouars are only known from lowland humid forest in far south-eastern Madagascar, in the vicinity of the city of Tolagnaro. The distribution and ecology of each species are discussed and preliminary IUCN conservation assessments are provided.

A new Species of Ludia (Salicaceae) from Madagascar's Eastern Littoral Forest

ABSTRACT Recent collecting efforts in Madagascars eastern littoral forest have yielded a new species, Ludia craggiana Z. S. Rogers, Randrianasolo & J. S. Miller (Salicaceae), which is apparently endemic to two sandy forest fragments located near Vohémar in northeastern Madagascar. This species is most similar to L. ludiifolia (H. Perrier) Capuron & Sleumer, but can be distinguished by its more robust young stems and spines, glabrous or rarely puberulent twigs, petioles, midribs, and pedicels, coriaceous leaves with midveins and secondary venation of similar thickness, 50 to 60 stamens with emarginate anther connectives, and by the minutely granular-papillose fruit surface. Ludia craggiana is illustrated and assigned a provisional conservation status of endangered.

The first report of Spondias native to Madagascar: Spondias tefyi , sp. nov. (Anacardiaceae)

Spondias represents a genus new to Madagascar’s native flora. Like Campnosperma, it is now known from both American and Asian tropics and Madagascar but not from continental Africa. The new species Spondias tefyi is easily distinguished from all of its Asian congeners by having the stamens shorter than the pistil and fruits brown and lenticellate at maturity (vs. greenish, yellow, orange or red, and relatively smooth). The new species is one of several Anacardiaceae whose fruits are eaten by lemurs in the Analavelona Forest, highlighting the importance of conserving this threatened subhumid forest remnant in southern Madagascar.