Eremospatha hookeri LC Taxonomic Authority: (G.Mann & H.Wendl.) H.Wendl  Global Assessment  Regional Assessment Region: Global  Endemic to region Synonyms Common Names Calamus hookeri G.Mann & H.Wendl., Trans. Linn. Soc. Londo

Upper Level Kingdom: PLANTAE Phylum: TRACHEOPHYTA Class: LILIOPSIDA Order: Family: PALMAE Lower Level Taxonomy Rank: Infra- rank name:  Hybrid Subpopulation: Authority:

General Information Distribution Eremospatha hookeri is known from west and central tropical Africa in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Range Size Elevation Biogeographic Realm Area of Occupancy: Upper limit: 200  Afrotropical Extent of Occurrence: Lower limit: 0  Antarctic Map Status: Depth  Australasian Upper limit:  Neotropical Lower limit:  Oceanian Depth Zones  Palearctic  Shallow photic  Bathyl  Hadal  Indomalayan  Photic  Abyssal  Nearctic Population The number of individuals is not known.

Total Population Size Minimum Population Size: Maximum Population Size: Habitat and Ecology Most specimens of E. hookeri have been found in tropical, high, dense, secondary forests with a closed canopy and a heavy undergrowth of climbers and canes and sometimes dominated by Caesalpiniaceae. It also occurs in gaps in high forest dominated by Aukomea klaineana. It has been collected from areas along skid trails, roadsides and in zones of impeded drainage and swamps. It has also been found in farm regrowth dominated by Elaeis guineensis and Ceiba pentandra.

System Movement pattern Crop Wild Relative  Terrestrial  Freshwater  Nomadic  Congregatory/Dispersive  Is the species a wild relative of a crop?  Marine  Migratory  Altitudinally migrant Growth From Definition Vines Vines, lianas and creepers

Threats E. hookeri is a commercially important species in west Africa, although harvest levels are not known. are usually harvested from wild populations, often cutting all the stems in a cluster of , even though some may not be mature enough for utilisation and sale (Sunderland 2002). Rattan is considered to be a freely exploitable commodity and in this region road development has opened up previously inaccessible forest (Sunderland 2002).

Past Present Future 3 Harvesting (hunting/gathering)  3.4 Materials  3.4.1 Subsistence use/local trade  3.4.2 Sub-national/national trade  Conservation Measures E. hookeri is known from several protected areas across its. It is not listed on CITES and from this species are not present in the Millennium Bank, UK. In a previous conservation assessment it has been listed as Not Threatened (Sunderland 2007). Efforts are being made to help sustain the rattan resource in Africa through research such as the African Rattan Research Programme. Further monitoring of the harvest levels for this rattan are encouraged to ensure it is being utilised in a sustainable manor.

In Place Needed 1 Policy-based actions  1.1 Management plans  4 Habitat and site-based actions  4.4 Protected areas  5 Species-based actions  5.7 Ex situ conservation actions  5.7.2 Genome resource bank 

Countries of Occurrence

PRESENCE ORIGIN Year Breeding Non- Passage Possibly ExtinctPresence Native Introduced Re- Vagrant Origin Round Season breeding migrant extinct uncertain Introduced uncertain only season only Cameroon    Congo    Congo, The Democratic    Republic of the Côte d'Ivoire    Equatorial Guinea    Gabon    Ghana    Nigeria    Sierra Leone   

General Habitats Score Description Major Importance 1 Forest 1UnsetSuitable 1.6 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland1Unset Suitable 1.8 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Swamp1Unset Suitable

Species Utilisation  Species is not utilised at all

Purpose / Type of Use Subsistence National International 12. Handicrafts, jewellery, decorations, curios, etc.  8. Fibre  9. Construction/structural materials  This species is a commercially important rattan in West Africa (Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, W. Nigeria), the split cane is used as a binding material (Sunderland 2000, 2007). The rind of the stem is widely used as rope and for making baskets in Sierra Leone (Burkill 1985). In Nigeria the leaf sheath is used as a chewstick (Sunderland 2007).

Trend in the level of wild offtake/harvest in relation to total wild population numbers over the last five years: Trend in the amount of offtake/harvest produced through domestication/cultivation over the last five years: CITES status: Not listed

IUCN Red Listing Red List Assessment:(using 2001 IUCN system) Least Concern (LC)

Red List Criteria: Date Last Seen (only for EX, EW or Possibly EX species): Is the species Possibly Extinct?  Possibly Extinct Candidate?  Rationale for the Red List Assessment E. hookeri has a large range across west and west-central Africa. It is has some commercial value and is harvested directly from the wild. This rattan is present in numerous protected areas, is known from several recently collected specimens and in a previous conservation assessment was rated as not threatened (Sunderland 2007). Due to the wide range and lack of immediate threats a rating of Least Concern is given. Reason(s) for Change in Red List Category from the Previous Assessment:  Genuine Change  Nongenuine Change  No Change  Genuine (recent)  New information  Taxonomy  Same category  Genuine (since first assessment)  Knowledge of Criteria  Criteria Revisio and criteria  Incorrect data used  Other  Same category but previously change in criteria Current Population Trend: Stable Date of Assessment: 21/05/2009 Name(s) of the Assessor(s): Loftus, C. Evaluator(s): Notes:

% population decline in the past: Time period over which the past decline has been measured for applying Criterion A or C1 (in years or generations): % population decline in the future: Time period over which the future decline has been measured for applying Criterion A or C1 (in years or generations): Number of Locations: Severely Fragmented: Number of Mature Individuals:

Bibliography Burkill, H.M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, , Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Sunderland, T., 2007, Field Guide to the rattans of Africa, , Kew Publishing, Sunerland, T.C.H., 2002, Status of rattan resources and use in West and Central Africa., Non-Wood Forest Products- RATTAN Current research issues and prospects for conservation and sustainable development, 77-88, ,