ISSN: 2226-7522(Print) and 2305-3327 (Online) Science, Technology and Arts Research Journal July-Sep 2013, 2(3): 93-104 www.starjournal.org Copyright@2013 STAR Journal. All Rights Reserved Original Research Perspective Ecological Phytogeography: A Case Study of Commiphora Species Teshome Soromessa Center for Environmental Science, Addis Ababa University, Post Box No: 1176, Addis Ababa Ethiopia Abstract Article Information The present paper stipulated phytogeography, ecological ranges, possible origin and Article History: migratory route of Commiphora Jacq. species. Data were gathered from the field, Received : 28-07-2013 herbarium and secondary sources. Information on distribution, altitude and soil Revised : 21-09-2013 Accepted : 24-09-2013 preferences were compiled and aggregated together. Phytogeographical aspect of the group has been analyzed using Brooks’s parsimony analysis (1990) which was Keywords: done by tabulating flora regions versus the species under consideration where the Commiphora matrix has been filled as either presence or absence. The result of data on Ecological Ranges phytogeography showed three patterns of distribution. Based on the plate tectonic Phytogeography theory, evolution and diversification of most angiosperm families into consideration, *Corresponding Author: the origin of Commiphora has been discussed in details. It was recommended that Teshome Soromessa the migratory route of Commiphora still requires further investigation and needs to be corroborated with data on the age of the genus and that of the concept of plate E-mail: tectonic theory. [email protected] INTRODUCTION The genus Commiphora Jacq. is one of the most aforementioned information taking the genus diverse genera of the family Burseraceae. It is Commiphora in to consideration. largely represented in Africa where it is confined to arid and semi-arid areas. Commiphora also occurs MATERIAL AND METHODS in Iran, Pakistan, Peninsula India, Sri Lanka and Studies on NE and E Tropical African species of Brazil. The genus is co-dominant with Acacia over Commiphora were made (Table 1 for the the huge areas of the Horn of Africa and supports nomenclature of taxa). Data were gathered from the the large livestock populations of pastoral and agro intensive field works, herbarium specimens with the pastoral communities. Of the 190 or so species in consultations of various literatures. Information on the genus, more than half of the species are native distribution, altitude and soil preferences were to the Horn of Africa. This might support the notion compiled and aggregated together. Phytogeo- that the center of genetic diversity of the genus is in graphcal aspect of the group has been analyzed this part of the world. using Brooks’s parsimony analysis (1990). This was done by tabulating flora regions versus the In earlier days attempts have been made to species under consideration where the matrix has circumscribe the genus, among others, Berg (1862), been filled as either presence or absence. Engler (1898, 1904, 1910, 1912, 1931 and 1931), Sprague (1927), Chiovenda (1932), Burtt (1935), The geographical areas included under the Leenhouts (1956), Wild (1959 and 1963), Van der present investigation were NE (North East which Walt (1973 and 1986), Gillett (1980 and 1991) and refers to Ethiopia and Eritrea) and E (East referring Boulos (2000) are the ones to be mentioned. to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) Tropical Africa. However, information on the phytogeography, niche Because of the transgressing nature of Commiphora ranges, possible origin and migratory route of the species to the adjacent Somalia, Somalia was also group has not been treated in the past. Thus, the included in the map for discussion purposes. The present paper aimed at dealing with the description of the regional floristic divisions of the An Official International Journal of Wollega University, Ethiopia. 93 Teshome Soromessa Sci. Technol. Arts Res. J., July-Sep 2013, 2(3): 93-104 flora areas (i.e., Ethiopia, Eritrea, East Africa and endemism. For example, C. africana has a wider Somalia) followed Hedberg and Edwards (1989), distribution through out the continent. It occurs in Polhill (1988) and Thulin (1999) as given in Figure Zambezian region, Sudanian region, Somalia-Masai 1. region, Kalahari-Highveld region, Sahel region and the Sahara region. C. africana has been reported from more that 30 countries in Africa (van der Walt, 1975). Others like C. schimperi, C. gileadensis, C. quadricincta, C. habessinica, C. kataf and C. myrrha transgress beyond the continent and occur in Arabia having disjunct distribution. Two species, namely C. monoica and C. suffruticosa are endemic to Ethiopia; another two species, C. oblongifolia and C. ovalifolia are endemic to Kenya; six species, C. madagascarensis, C. hornbyi, C. acuminata, C. engleri, C. spathulata and C. stolonifera are endemic to Tanzanian flora (see Fig. 2). Figure 1: Regional floristic divisions of Ethiopia, Eritrea, East Africa and Somalia. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Phytogeograpy The majority of the species of Commiphora are essentially pan tropical in their distribution extending from Brazil via Tropical Africa to India and Pakistan with their high concentration in the Horn of Africa. On the account of the subdivision of African phytochoria of White (1983), the genus is found distributed in the majority of the regional centers of endemism, regional mosaic and transitional zones, with the highest genetic diversity in the Somalia- Masai regional center of endemism. Accordingly Commiphora species are found in Zambezian regional center of endemism, the Sudanian regional center of endemism, the Somalia-Masai regional Figure 2: Distribution of endemic species of center of endemism, the Karoo-Namib regional Commiphora in NE and East Tropical center of endemism, the Zanzibar-Inhambane Africa in different flora regions. The regional mosaic, the Kalahari-highveld regional symbols indicated in the map represent transitional zone, the Tongaland-Pondoland regional different species: ● - C. monoica, ♦ - C. mosaic, the Sahel regional transition zone and the suffruticosa, ♥ - C. oblongofolia, ▲ - C. Sahara regional transition zone. However, some ovalifolia, ♣ - C. madagascarensis, ▼- C. species like C. myrrha is transcontinental and hornbyi, ■ – C. acuminata, ○ – C. engleri, ◘ extends its distribution to Arabia and India. - C. spathulata,. ◊ - C. stolonifera. Out of the species of NE and E Tropical African One approach of tracing the phytogeographic Commiphora currently dealt with, only a few of them aspect of a given group is using Brooks’s parsimony are out of the Somalia-Masai regional center of analysis (1990). In this analysis flora regions (areas) 94 Teshome Soromessa Sci. Technol. Arts Res. J., July-Sep 2013, 2(3): 93-104 versus species were tabulated on the data matrix shows three types of pattern. The first type is the and this has been generated from Table 1. Within EW-GG group that is characterized by wide spread the developed matrix absence and presence were distributional pattern and know to have few species considered. The data matrix was analyzed using of Commiphora. In this group few Commiphora PAUP Swofford (2002). The result obtained is species are distributed such as C. africana, C. reproduced in Figure 3. habessinica, C. edulis and C. schimperi that normally occurs elsewhere in the different areas. The present gross distributional data for Commiphora of NE and E Tropical Africa (Figure 3) Figure 3: The areagram obtained using BPA. The second group, T1-S3 (Figure. 3), is partly Possible Origin and Migratory Route Tanzanian and characterized by group with very The phylogenetic study of Commiphora species limited distributional pattern. Some species reported by Teshome (2005) presumably indicated occurring in these areas are more or less endemic that the primitive group with in the sections belongs (such as C. madagascarensis), others are to section Cupulares which contains C. transgressing ones that transgress down to eralngeriana, C. monoica, C. erosa, C. eminii, C. Southern African region and still some display very hornbyi, C. unilobata and C. zanziberica. In addition limited pattern of distribution. The transgressing to this evidence, the Horn of Africa harbors all sex species include C. mollis, C. mossambicensis and forms that occur in the genus; i.e. hermaphrodite, C. mombassensis. monoecious and dioecious with the possible intermediate groups and the xerophytic and The third group, SD-S1 group (Figure. 3), is the mesophytic species of Commiphora also occur in pattern displayed by most Commiphora species. the NE and E Tropical Africa. Apparently it is About 70 % of Commiphora occurring in NE and E possible to make the presumptuous assumption that Tropical Africa are found distributed in these the Horn of Africa is the origin of the group, with regions. Examples to this pattern are C. more emphasis to the NE of Africa. Although Wild hildebrabdtii and C. ogadensis. This perhaps (1965), didn’t explicitly pointed out about the origin seems to be the appropriate environment that suits of the genus, he indicated that the occurrence of many Commiphora species to survive, diversify and very dry interpluvial periods in Africa put pressure invade the region. Except for the political on the genus Commiphora to produce xerophytic boundaries these areas are almost adjacent to one species now well represented in NE and SW Africa, another and sharing similar ecological niche that some of which migrated without difficulty through support similar life forms. 95 Teshome Soromessa Sci. Technol. Arts Res. J., July-Sep 2013, 2(3): 93-104 Table 1: Altitudinal ranges, average annual rainfall, pedological preference and distribution of Commiphora species. Annual Altitudinal Pedological Scientific name Rainfall in NE K1-7 T1-8 U1-4 S CWS-Africa range in m preference mm C. acuminata Mattick 750-900 600-750 rocky slopes 56 sandy to EE, AF, EW, TU, Tropical and loamy, GD, WU, SU, C. africana Engl. 2-2100 200-850 K1-7 T1-8 123 N12C1S3 southern recent lava KF, GG, SD, BA, Africa flows HA C. alaticaulis Gillett sandy, rocky 300-1200 200-450 SD,BA,HA 2 N2C2S1S3 and Vollesen lime stone sandy, rocky C.