Figure 1: Afrothismia Korupensis Sainge & Franke Afrothismia
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Figure 1: Afrothismia korupensis Sainge & Franke Afrothismia fungiformis Sainge, Kenfack & Afrothismia pusilla Sainge, Kenfack & Chuyong (in press) Chuyong (in press) Afrothismia sp.nov. Three new species of Afrothismia discovered during this study. CASESTUDY: SYSTEMATICS AND ECOLOGY OF THISMIACEAE IN CAMEROON BY SAINGE NSANYI MOSES AN MSC THESIS PRESENTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY AND PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF BUEA, CAMEROON 1.0. INTRODUCTION The family Thismiaceae Agardh comprises five genera Afrothismia Schltr., Haplothismia Airy Shaw, Oxygyne Schltr., Thismia Griff. and Tiputinia P. E. Berry & C. L. Woodw. (Merckx 2006, Woodward et al., 2007) with close to 63 - 90 species (Vincent et al. 2013, Sainge et al. 2012). The worldwide distribution of this family ranges from lowland rain forest and sub-montane forest of South America, Asia and Africa, with a few species in the temperate forest of Australia, New Zealand, and Japan to the upper mid-western U.S.A., on an evergreen, semi-deciduous and deciduous vegetation type. In tropical Africa, they occur in two genera (Afrothismia Schltr. & Oxygyne Schltr.) with about 20 species with the highest diversity in the forest of Central Africa (Cheek 1996, Franke 2004, 2005, Sainge et al., 2005, 2010 and Sainge et al. 2012). The recent taxonomic Classification of Thismiaceae (Merckx et al. 2006) is as follows: Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Dioscoreales Family: Thismiaceae Genera: Afrothismia Schltr., Haplothismia Airy Shaw, Oxygyne Schltr., Thismia Griff. and Tiputinia Berry & Woodward In tropical Africa, thismiaceae was discovered over a century ago but classified as Burmanniaceae (Engler, 1905). This family is monocotyledonous, and form part of a heterogeneous group of plants known as the myco-heterotrophic plants (MHPs) (Leake, 1994) consisting of nine plant families: Petrosaviaceae, Polygalaceae, Ericaceae, Iridaceae (Geosiris), Thismiaceae, Burmanniaceae, Triuridaceae, Gentianaceae and some terrestrial Orchidaceae. MHPs receive all essential nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi, which colonize their roots and/or rhizomes (Leake, 1994). Their lack of green leaves, chlorophyll and subterranean habits leads to the assumption that they live as a parasite on their associated fungi (Leake, 1994). In studying the Biology of MHPs of Southwest Cameroon, Sainge & Franke discovered five new species of Afrothismia, of which four species have been published (A. saingei Franke (2004), A. foertheriana Franke et al. (2004), A. hydra Sainge & Franke (2005) and A. korupensis Sainge et al. (2005)), but unfortunately no species of Oxygyne was recorded. In Africa, Afrothismia Schltr. comprises about 18 species (Sainge, in prep), and Oxygyne Schltr. with two species but only one published (Cheek in prep.). They are found in an evergreen, semi- deciduous, and deciduous forest at an altitudinal gradient of lowland and sub-montane rainforest, ranging from 100 m to 3000 m asl (Sainge, in prep.). Growing in soil at a depth of up to 20 cm (Sainge in prep) and on rotten leaf liter in the wet season (Leake, 1994, Franke, 2007). Hence, Afrothismia is represented in Cameroon with 12 species (Sainge et al., 2012), Tanzania; two species (Cowley 1988, Cheek 2005), Kenya; one species (Cheek 2003), Uganda; one subspecies (Cowley 1988), Gabon; three species (Dauby & Stévart 2008), and Nigeria; one subspecies. Oxygyne Schltr. represent two species (Maas-Van de Kamer, 1998) occurring in Southwest Cameroon [Oxygyne triandra Schltr. and Oxygyne sp.nov. (Cheek in prep.)] and 3 species in Japan. The main hypothesis of this study was to understand the species composition, ecology, distribution and diversity of Thismiaceae in Cameroon in different habitats, and to formulate new models on how to study this group of plants in other countries. This study will lead to the revision of Thismiaceae in Africa and the Flora of Thismiaceae of Cameroon. SCOPE OF STUDY This study was a follow up research that started since 2000 based on fieldwork and herbaria search (YA, SCA, MO, B, and WAG) from 2002 – 2007. Extended Fieldwork was carried out from April – September 2011 in three vegetation types: evergreen, semi-deciduous, and deciduous, at an altitudinal range of lowland rain forest, and sub-montane forest. In Korup National Park, Diongo Community forest, Transformation Reef Cameroon (TRC) concession 1081, Forest Management Unit (FMU) 11001 at Bakogo, Mount Kupe forest area (Mbulle and Kupe III), Mount Kala, Mefou National Park, Mt. Mvile, PALISCO, FMU 10041 around Mindourou, Mt. Oku and Mbembe forest reserves. Annual species occurrences and abundance per site were assessed. Figure 2: World Distribution of Thismiaceae (Adapted from Merckx, 2008b) 2.1. TAXONOMIC HISTORY OF AFRICAN THISMIACEAE Rudolf Schlechter, a German botanist, established the genus Afrothismia in 1906 based on Afrothismia winkleri (Engl.) Schltr. This species was collected in 1904 by Hurbert Winkler (German missionary) around the village of Muea (nickname „Neu Tegel‟) (Engler, 1905). It was described as Thismia winkleri Engler. Adolf Engler was a German Botanist, and in 1905, Engler and Schlechter both visited Cameroon in separate trips and Schlechter recollected T. winkleri Engl. from Moliwe and another new species from Moliwe and he re-described T.winkleri as Afrothismia winkleri (Engl.) Schltr. and A. pachyantha Schltr. In 1940, Eggeling collected a variety of Afrothismia winkleri var. budongensis Cowley from Uganda. A. insignis Cowley from Tanzania was collected by Polhill & Paulo in 1962, and she cited another species A. winkleri var. winkleri from Cameroon and Nigeria (Cowley; 1988). In 1970, Jean Louis Amiet collected another new species from Mount Kala, 20 km west of Yaounde, in the Centre Region, Cameroon while studying the diversity of butterflies. This species was preserved in alcohol and kept at the National herbarium of Cameroon (YA), till 2006 that it was described as A. amietii Cheek (Cheek, 2006). In 1995, A.J de Winter collected another new species from Nyangong in South Cameroon, which was described from spirit collection as A. gesnerioides Maas (Maas; 2003). In 2002, S. Baer collected the first Afrothismia record for Kenya, which was described as A. baerae Cheek (Cheek; 2003). In 2003, Jannerup while studying the vegetation of the eastern arc mountains of Tanzania collected a new Afrothismia, which was described as A. mhoroana (Cheek & Jannerup; 2005). Between 2000, and 2005; Franke & Sainge while studying the Biology of myco-heterotrophic plants in Southwest Cameroon as part of Franke‟s Ph.D work, came across five new species of Afrothismia; of which four species have been fully described thus: A. foetheriana Franke (Franke, 2004), A. saingei Franke (Franke, 2004), A. hydra Sainge & Franke (Sainge, 2005), and A. korupensis Sainge et al. (Sainge et al.; 2005). One new species is pending description because the alcohol material is in very bad shape. Gilles Dauby (a Belgian Botanist) discovered another new Afrothismia species in Gabon and was described as A. gabonensis Dauby (Dauby et al, 2009). Dauby (2008) reported of an unidentified species of Afrothismia from Gabon that was collected by Gentry (Gentry A. 33279) and A. insignis Cowley still from Gabon that was collected by Wilks (Wilks C. 1179). May their SOULS rest in PEACE (Gentry and Wilks). In 2010 Cheek described another new species of Afrothismia from Zambia as A. zambesiaca Cheek. In 2011 while studying the Systematics and Ecology of Thismiaceae in Cameroon, Sainge collected three new species of Afrothismia (Sainge et al, unpublished). Shortly after my study on thismiaceae in 2012, Vincent Merckx sent me some pictures of Afrothismia from Dauby in Gabon which turnout to be another new species. The genus Oxygyne was also established by Schlechter after his trip to Cameroon in 1905. Besides collecting A. winkleri and A. pachyantha, Schlechter also collected a new genus from Moliwe, Cameroon which he described as Oxygyne triandra Schltr. in 1906. Later in 1992 while studying the vegetation of Mt. Cameroon area, Duncan Thomas and Martin Cheek collected another new species of Oxygyne around Mt. Etinde which is not too far from the type locality of O. triandra Schltr.. Unfortunately this species is still unpublished. This genus is extended to Asia with three species collected from Japan: Oxygyne hyodoi Abe & Akasawa (1989), O. shinzatoi (Hatusima) Abe & Akasawa; 1989, and O. yamashitae Yahara & Tsukaya (Yahara & Tsukaya, 2008). 2.2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT (GENERAL MORPHOLOGY) Habit: Afrothismia is a genus of the myco-heterotrophic herb that occurs in tropical Africa in various habitats: low land rain forest, semi deciduous forest, and sub montane forest ranging from sea level to about 3000 m above sea level, and appears between top soil and rotten leaf litter that hardly grows at a depth above 20 cm into the soil. Their entire height ranges from a few millimeters to 20 cm. The diameter ranges from 0.5 – 3 mm. The stem consists of minute scale like alternate leaves and grooves in some species. At the base of the stem is an underground stem “bulbil rhizomes” in clusters with the roots at the end. In some species, clusters of bulbil rhizomes occur at the axil of leaves along the stem. Some species have solitary stems, while others have branching stems with a conspicuous bract at the base of each flower. All species of this genus are composed of six tepals except Afrothismia hydra Sainge & Franke with some population in Korup National Park observed