Iain Darbyshire

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · Identification and Naming

Important Plant Areas (IPAs) are a successful method of identifying priority areas for plant conservation. Assessment of IPAs, however, often relies on criteria related to species, while incorporation of habitats has been less consistent. Using Uganda as a case study, we test the application of the threatened habitat criterion—criterion C. We ident...

The global biodiversity crisis in agriculture is overlooked compared with that in wild systems. This must change if we are to safeguard domesticated plant diversity and meet global sustainable development and biodiversity goals. In this Perspective, we review tools developed through decades of wild biodiversity conservation and provide a framework...

The global biodiversity crisis in agriculture is overlooked compared with that in wild systems. This must change if we are to safeguard domesticated plant diversity and meet global sustainable development and biodiversity goals. In this Perspective, we review tools developed through decades of wild biodiversity conservation and provide a framework...

Taxonomic studies in the Acanthaceae of Ethiopia and neighbouring countries reveal the presence of several previously overlooked endemic and near-endemic taxa. The Isoglossa somalensis Lindau complex is revised, resulting in the description of a new species, Isoglossa recurva Hanny & I.Darbysh. from the forests of southwest Ethiopia, and a new vari...

Virectaria (Sabiceeae-Cinchonoideae-Rubiaceae), is a morphologically isolated genus of tropical African herbs or subshrubs, occurring from Senegal to Tanzania. Virectaria stellata, a new species from Guinea, is published. It is a perennial herb, with stems becoming creeping and rooting, to 60 cm long. Virectaria stellata has stellate hairs, recorde...

Summary. The flora of limestone karsts is exceptionally rich, due in particular to the wide array of microhabitats that limestone outcrops support. However, in Peninsular Malaysia limestone outcrops are heavily exploited for the quarry industry, cave temples, leisure venues and the development of geoparks, hence the limestone flora is amongst the m...

Virectaria is a morphologically isolated genus of tropical African herbs or subshrubs, occurring from Senegal to Tanzania. Virectaria stellata, a new species from Guinea, is published. It is a perennial herb, with stems becoming creeping and rooting, to 60 cm long. Virectaria stellata has stellate hairs, recorded here for the first time in the fami...

Angiosperms are the cornerstone of most terrestrial ecosystems and human livelihoods1,2. A robust understanding of angiosperm evolution is required to explain their rise to ecological dominance. So far, the angiosperm tree of life has been determined primarily by means of analyses of the plastid genome3,4. Many studies have drawn on this foundation...

Two new taxa in Barleria L. sect. Prionitis Nees (Acanthaceae) are described from Somalia, namely Barleria biramosa Defty & I.Darbysh. from central Somalia and B. compacta Malombe & I.Darbysh. subsp. minima I.Darbysh. & Defty from the northeast coastal region. These taxa are further endemics of the Horn of Africa biodiversity hotspot and have highl...

Recent biological surveys of ancient inselbergs in southern Malawi and northern Mozambique have led to the discovery and description of many species new to science, and overlapping centres of endemism across multiple taxa. Combining these endemic taxa with data on geology and climate, we propose the ‘South East Africa Montane Archipelago’ (SEAMA) a...

A summary of the species of Pyrostria from continental Africa is presented, including full descriptions of three new species, P. makovui, P. namacubiensis and P. rovumensis from the coastal forests of the Tanzania-Mozambique border region, and one new subspecies, P. lobulata subsp. bridsoniae from Zambia. Pyrostria makovui is the first species with...

Important Plant Areas (IPAs) are a successful method of identifying priority areas for plant conservation. Assessment of IPAs, however, often relies on criteria related to species, while incorporation of habitats has been less consistent. Using Uganda as a case study, we test the application of the threatened habitat criterion (criterion C). We ide...

A rapid assessment of Mt Namba recorded 271 plant taxa including six new records for Angola and 22 new records for the province of Cuanza-Sul. The mountain has the most extensive tracts of intact Afromontane forest in the country amid a mosaic of species-rich montane rocky grassland and miombo woodland at lower elevations. Range extensions of two...

Area-based approaches have long dominated biodiversity conservation, reinforced by the recent Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The Important Plant Area (IPA) approach is the leading global framework for spatial conservation prioritisation of plants and fungi. However, a comprehensive review of approaches and experiences is yet to be...

Successful protected area networks must represent biodiversity across taxonomic groups. However, too often plant species are overlooked in conservation planning, and the resulting protected areas may, as a result, fail to encompass the most important sites for plant diversity. The Mozambique Tropical Important Plant Areas project sought to promote...

Isoglossa pareensis I.Darbysh. & Hemp (Acanthaceae), from submontane moist forest at Mwala in the South Pare Mountains of northeastern Tanzania, is described and illustrated. This species is considered to be related to I. gregorii (S.Moore) Lindau and I. punctata (Vahl) Brummitt & J.R.I.Wood, which are widespread in the montane forests of eastern A...

Monanth otaxis bali is the only known, solely montane (occurring solely above 2000 m alt.) species of the genus. It joins M. orophila (Rwanda) and M. discolor (Tanzania), two other species that can also occur above 2000 m alt. Monanthotaxis bali is an addition to the small number (28) of the tree species of the surviving montane forests of the Came...

The taxonomy of Lepidagathis hamiltonianaWall. ex Nees (Acanthaceae: Barlerieae) is discussed,along with a detailed description, illustration and photoplates. The taxonomic complexities among L. collina(Endl.) Milne-Redh., L. cristata Willd. and L. hamiltonianaare clarified. Lectotypes for the names, L. beddomeiT.Anderson and L. hamiltoniana are de...

The Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Republic of Guinea (CVPRG) is a specimen-based, expert-validated knowledge product, which provides a concise synthesis and overview of current knowledge on 3901 vascular plant species documented from Guinea (Conakry), West Africa, including their accepted names and synonyms, as well as their distribution...

Background and aims – Ochna holstii and its allies represent an ecologically important group in a variety of lowland to montane habitats in tropical eastern and southern Africa. Identifying and delimiting species within this group has proved challenging due to a lack of variation in morphological characters. We combine genomic-scale data of multipl...

The new species Lindernia sallyae from Tanzania, Mpanda District is described and illustrated. It differs from Lindernia linearifolia and L. monroi in the lack of basal rosulate leaves, the taller habit, the calyx with shorter tube and the acute lobes, the yellow corolla with purple marks and veins, the larger lower lip of the corolla, the longer a...

Mozambique supports a high diversity of native legume species, including many Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs). Among them, the still understudied genus Vigna is a particularly notable and promising donor of favorable traits for crop improvement. This study aims to provide an updated overview of Vigna CWRs diversity in Mozambique, defining a conservation...

Current generic delimitation in subtribe Isoglossinae of Acanthaceae is discussed using available morphological and molecular data. Particular consideration is given to the small genera endemic to Madagascar — Celerina Benoist, Melittacanthus S.Moore, Sphacanthus Benoist and the illegitimate Conocalyx Benoist — and how these relate to the current c...

We describe two range-restricted new species to science from the genus Impatiens (Balsaminaceae), both threatened, from lowland of the Cross-Sanaga Interval of western Cameroon. The first, Impatiens banen, appears to be restricted to an open seepage microhabitat on granitic inselbergs in the lowland-submontane forest zone of the Ebo Forest in Litto...

Angola is a tropical country with many biogeographical units and, therefore, has a high floristic diversity. Although an increasing number of floristic studies has been carried out in Angola in recent years, the country is still considered to be underinvestigated as many species being collected were previously unknown there. Several scientific grou...

Conservation action plans need to be devised and implemented if we are to reduce the extinction risk faced by globally threatened plants. However, most plant species categorized as threatened globally on the IUCN Red List lack conservation action plans. In West Africa, Guinea is one of the most diverse countries in terms of botanical species. In to...

Following a review of the circumscription of the genus Cladoceras Bremek. (Rubiaceae) in relation to Tarenna Gaertn., the new species Cladoceras rovumense I.Darbysh., J.E.Burrows & Q.Luke sp. nov. is described from the dry forests of the Rovuma Centre of Plant Endemism (CoE) in southeast Tanzania and northeast Mozambique. This species has previousl...

Monanthotaxis bali is the only known, solely montane (occurring solely above 2000 m alt.) species of the genus. It joins Monanthotaxis orophila (Rwanda) and M. discolor (Tanzania), two other species that can also occur above 2000 m alt. Monanthotaxis bali is an addition to the small number (28) of the tree species of the surviving montane forests o...

Botanical surveys on the São Sebastião Peninsula have been limited to date. Surveys conducted by Portuguese botanists during the colonial era revealed some species of interest, most notably the globally threatened Ecbolium hastatum and Jatropha subaequiloba, but these surveys were far from exhaustive. Over the past six years, extensive surveys have...

Two new species of Barleria subg. Barleria (Acanthaceae) are described from the Soutpansberg Centre of Plant Endemism in Limpopo Province of South Africa: Barleria soutpansbergensis and B. spinosissima . The habitat requirements, conservation status and taxonomic affinities of each species are discussed. Barleria soutpansbergensis is considered to...

We describe two range-restricted new species to science from the genus Impatiens (Balsaminaceae), both threatened, from the Cross-Sanaga Interval of western Cameroon. The first, Impatiens banen , appears to be restricted to an open seepage microhabitat on granitic inselbergs in the lowland-submontane forest zone of the Ebo Forest in Littoral Region...

Angola has a great diversity of species and ecosystems and a high level of endemism. However, knowledge of the native flora remains very incomplete and outdated. Leguminosae is the largest family in the country, including many species which are of local or more regional economic importance. Based on an extensive review of bibliographic sources, nat...

Recent molecular phylogenetic results have demonstrated that Monechma s.l., a group of plants with ecological importance in the savanna and succulent biomes of sub-Saharan Africa, is polyphyletic with two discrete lineages recognisable. In the present work, we recognise Monechma Groups I and II at the generic rank, which can be distinguished by dif...

Barleria is a genus of approximately 300 species of herbs, shrubs or, rarely, trees, that is broadly distributed across the Paleotropics. The genus is especially diverse in Tanzania, Angola, and Madagascar. A recent molecular study sampled 53 Barleria species and gathered data for five molecular markers (i.e., four chloroplast loci and the nuclear...

Advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing are allowing faster and more affordable generation of molecular phylogenetic trees for many organisms. However, resolving relationships at species level is still challenging, particularly for taxonomically difficult groups. Until recently, the classification of Ochna had been based only on morphological da...

Advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing are allowing faster and more affordable generation of molecular phylogenetic trees for many organisms. However, resolving relationships at species level is still challenging, particularly for taxonomically difficult groups. Until recently, the classification of Ochna had been based only on morphological da...

Acanthaceae are among the most taxonomically diverse, geographically widespread, and morphologically and ecologically variable lineages of flowering plants. Most modern workers have estimated more than 4000 species and potentially more than 5000 species worldwide, thus placing Acanthaceae among the 12 or so most diverse families of angiosperms. Thi...

We present phylogenetic results for Justicieae, the largest of the major lineages of Acanthaceae. With 300% more sequence data and a similarly increased but also more geographically representative taxon sample compared to the only previous study of the lineage as a whole, we confirm the existence of the Pseuderanthemum Lineage, Isoglossinae, the Te...

Beneficial insect communities on farms are influenced by site- and landscape-level factors, with pollinator and natural enemy populations often associated with semi-natural habitat remnants. They provide ecosystem services essential for all agroecosystems. For smallholders, natural pest regulation may be the only affordable and available option to...

Premise: Both universal and family-specific targeted sequencing probe kits are becoming widely used for reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships in angiosperms. Within the pantropical Ochnaceae, we show that with careful data filtering, universal kits are equally as capable in resolving intergeneric relationships as custom probe kits. Furtherm...

Background and aims – Five new species of Streptocarpus (Gesneriaceae) are described from D.R. Congo in connection with preparing the family treatment for the Flore d’Afrique centrale.Methods – Standard herbarium practices were applied.Key results – Streptocarpus malachiticola sp. nov. is related to S. compressus and S. goetzei while S. bampsii sp....

The second part of a taxonomic revision of the tribe Barlerieae (Acanthaceae) in Angola and Namibia covers Barleria sects. Somalia and Stellatohirta . Thirty-one taxa including 27 accepted species are treated. Four new species ( Barleria eburnea , B. imatensis , B. louiseana and B. thunbergiiflora ), one new subspecies ( B. kacondensis subsp. glabr...

We present a synopsis and an identification key for the 13 species and one subspecies of the African genus Whitfieldia Hook. (Acanthaceae: Acanthoideae: Whitfieldieae). This work is based on the observation and analysis of morphological data from herbarium specimens and photographs of Whitfieldia species, and the study of all the relevant literatur...

Two new species are described from the proposed Mulanje-Namuli-Ribáuè Centre of Endemism. Isoglossa perdita I.Darbysh. (Acanthaceae) is apparently restricted to the submontane forests of southeastern Mt Mulanje in Malawi, and is assessed as Critically Endangered. Agelanthus patelii Polhill & Timberlake (Loranthaceae) is recorded from the montane fo...

Unprecedented changes in the Earth’s biota are prompting urgent efforts to describe and conserve plant diversity. For centuries, botanical monographs — comprehensive systematic treatments of a family or genus — have been the gold standard for disseminating scientific information to accelerate research. The lack of a monograph compounds the risk tha...

Two new combinations are made in preparation for a forthcoming checklist of the plants of Sudan and South Sudan: Dicliptera lanceolata (Lindau) I. Darbysh. & Kordofani (Acanthaceae), a South Sudan endemic, and Campylospermum likimiense (De Wild.) I. Darbysh. & Kordofani (Ochnaceae), recorded from South Sudan and Ethiopia to Tanzania and the Democra...

It is widely recognized that the conservation of the Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) in their wild habitats is fundamental to ensure the continuous supply of novel genetic material, crucial for future crop improvement. Vigna unguiculata (cowpea) and V. subterranea (bambara groundnut) are amongst the most significant African legumes as sources of food and...

Bulbophyllum pandanetorum is endemic to the southern part of Gabon

Polystachya farinosa is endemic to Cameroon.

Orchid Africa IUCN 2020

Orchid Africa IUCN 2020

Orchid Africa IUCN 2020

Orchid Africa IUCN 2020

Background and aims-The coastal dry forests and woodlands of Cabo Delgado Province (Mozambique), part of the proposed Rovuma Centre of Endemism that is shared with coastal southern Tanzania, are known to support high numbers of endemic and highly range-restricted species. Here we investigate the taxonomic status of three taxa that were discovered a...

orchid central Africa

Background Many crops are dependent on pollination by insects. Habitat management in agricultural landscapes can support pollinator services and even augment crop production. Common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important legume for the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in many low-income countries, particularly so in East Africa. While this...

New Guinea is the world’s largest tropical island and has fascinated naturalists for centuries. Home to some of the best-preserved ecosystems on the planet and to intact ecological gradients—from mangroves to tropical alpine grasslands—that are unmatched in the Asia-Pacific region, it is a globally recognized centre of biological and cultural diver...

Monechma Hochst. s.l. (Acanthaceae) is a diverse and ecologically important plant group in sub-Saharan Africa, well represented in the fire-prone savanna biome and with a striking radiation into the non-fire-prone succulent biome in the Namib Desert. We used RADseq to reconstruct evolutionary relationships within Monechma s.l. and found it to be no...

Thalassodendron leptocaule is a seagrass that is restricted to sandstone platforms that are exposed to strong wave action, in southern Mozambique and northern KwaZulu Natal. The highly specialised habitat requirements for this species result in it having a small area of occupancy, probably less than 50 km2, although it is known from at least 10-13...

The genus Polysphaeria is investigated in Mozambique based on detailed morphological studies of herbarium specimens, resulting in the recognition of two new species. The first, P. ribauensis, is based on Kraussia sp. A of Flora Zambesiaca and is endemic to the Ribáuè Mountains of Nampula Province. The second, P. harrisii, is known only from Mount M...

To achieve conservation success, we need to support the recovery of threatened species. Yet, <5% of plant species listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List have Species Conservation Action Plans (CAPs). If we are to move from a Red List to a Green List for threatened plant species, CAPs need to be devised and implemented. Guinea is one of the most...

Conservation biological control uses habitat management to enhance the survival and impact of arthropod natural enemies for pest control. Its advantages are that it relies on native or established invertebrate populations that are adapted to local agricultural ecosystems and conditions. We surveyed 300 farmers in three agro-ecological zones of Kili...

Knowledge of species richness and distribution of African biodiversity comes primarily from fauna studies, despite the tremendous richness of the flora. The genus Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) is one of the most diverse plant genera, and shows a great diversity across Africa. This genus is the largest endemic plant radiation in Angola, including 82 nat...

An annotated checklist of the 271 strict-endemic taxa (235 species) and 387 near-endemic taxa (337 species) of vascular plants in Mozambique is provided. Together, these taxa constitute c. 9.3% of the total currently known flora of Mozambique and include five strict-endemic genera ( Baptorhachis , Emicocarpus , Gyrodoma , Icuria and Micklethwaitia...