Marc S.M. Sosef

Meise Botanic Garden · Research Department

Background: Understanding the patterns of biodiversity distribution and what influences them is a fundamental pre-requisite for effective conservation and sustainable utilisation of biodiversity. Such knowledge is increasingly urgent as biodiversity responds to the ongoing effects of global climate change. Nowhere is this more acute than in species...

Species distribution models (SDMs) are widely used to predict the occurrence of species. Because SDMs generally use presence-only data, validation of the predicted distribution and assessing model accuracy is challenging. Model performance depends on both sample size and species’ prevalence, being the fraction of the study area occupied by the spec...

In conservation studies, solely widespread species are often used as indicators of diversity patterns, but narrow-ranged species can show different patterns. Here, we assess how well subsets of narrow-ranged, widespread or randomly selected plant species represent patterns of species richness and weighted endemism in Gabon, tropical Africa. Specifi...

Grasses (Poaceae) comprise c . 11 800 species and are central to human livelihoods and terrestrial ecosystems. Knowing their relationships and evolutionary history is key to comparative research and crop breeding. Advances in genome‐scale sequencing allow for increased breadth and depth of phylogenomic analyses, making it possible to infer a new re...

Grasses (Poaceae) comprise around 11,800 species and are central for human livelihoods and terrestrial ecosystems. Knowing their relationships and evolutionary history is key to comparative research and crop breeding. Advances in genome-scale sequencing allow for increased breadth and depth of phylogenomic analyses, making it possible to infer a ne...

Detailed morphological and molecular research has led to the conclusion that the majority of the species of the genus Brachiaria have to move to the much smaller genus Urochloa . Although many of the necessary new combinations were made, in Africa a fair number of accepted species still do not yet have a name within Urochloa . Following work on Wes...

A floristic treatment for the Gramineae tribe Cynodonteae, occurring within the region covered by the Flore d’Afrique centrale (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi) is given. A total of 24 genera and 52 species are documented. One species is endemic to the region, 10 lectotypes are designated, one new combination is made and six na...

A proposal to change the conserved type of Ipomoea was published in December 2020, and recommended by the Nomenclature Committee in 2023. This was done in the light of the possible negative consequences for a name change in the crop sweetpotato, which risk our proposal would significantly minimize. Recently, Muñoz‐Rodríguez & al. have published a r...

Floristic treatment of the Asparagaceae occurring in Gabon. 1 genus, 4 species.

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 – The vascular plant diversity of Burundi is still insufficiently explored, described, and understood. The goal of this paper is to show the degree of botanical exploration and the spatial patterns of botanical diversity in Burundi to date. Material and methods – The study is based on a dataset containing virtually all plant col...

In this data paper, we present a specimen-based occurrence dataset compiled in the framework of the Conservation of Endemic Central African Trees (ECAT) project with the aim of producing global conservation assessments for the IUCN Red List. The project targets all tree species endemic or sub-endemic to the Central African region comprising the Dem...

During the preparation of the treatment of the Lamiaceae for Flore d’Afrique centrale (Sosef 2016), the authors had to deal with Scutellaria polyadena Briq., a name published in Durand & De Wildeman (1898: 56) for a species endemic to south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. They came across the name Scutellaria polyadenia Rech.f....

This book presents the results of the IUCN Red List evaluation of all 347 tree taxa with a distribution confined to, or almost confined to, Central Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo – Rwanda – Burundi). As such, it is part of a global endeavour involving over 60 organisations coordinated by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI),...

Treatment of the Cactaceae family members present in Gabon (1 genus, 1 species)

Treatment of the Centroplacaceae present in Gabon (1 genus, 1 species).

Black nightshade, or the Solanum nigrum complex, includes a number of species that botanists consider problematic due to their morphological resemblance and the high rate of hybridization. As part of the revision of the family Solanaceae for the Flora central Africa,we realized a molecular study of the Solanum nigrum complex in the western part of...

Proposal to change the conserved type of Ipomoea, nom. cons. (Convolvulaceae)

It is time to synthesize the knowledge that has been generated through more than 260 years of botanical exploration, taxonomic and, more recently, phylogenetic research throughout the world. The adoption of an updated Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) in 2011 provided the essential impetus for the development of the World Flora Online (...

Tropical Africa is home to an astonishing biodiversity occurring in a variety of ecosystems. Past climatic change and geological events have impacted the evolution and diversification of this biodiversity. During the last two decades, around 90 dated molecular phylogenies of different clades across animals and plants have been published leading to...

Abstract. A flora treatment for the Solanaceae occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi is provided. In this region, the family is represented by 15 genera and 61 species: Browallia (1 species), Brugmansia (3 species), Brunfelsia (2 species), Capsicum (2 species), Cestrum (3 species), Datura (3 species), Discopodium (1...

La classification et la dénomination des plantes et des animaux qui peuplent notre planète est une première étape cruciale de la science biologique. Les chercheurs du Jardin botanique ont réalisé qu'une telle introduction à la systématique des plantes (aussi appelée taxonomie des plantes) faisait défaut en français, mais, de plus, qu'elle n'était p...

The classification and naming of the plants and animals occurring on our planet is a crucial first step of biological science. Researchers from the Botanic Garden realized that such an introduction to plant systematics (also known as plant taxonomy) was lacking in the French language, but, moreover, that it was hardly ever taught at universities an...

Phylogenies are a central and indispensable tool for evolutionary and ecological research. Even though most angiosperm families are well investigated from a phylogenetic point of view, there are far less possibilities to carry out large-scale meta-analyses at order level or higher. Here, we reconstructed a large-scale dated phylogeny including near...

Determining where species diversify (cradles) and persist (museums) over evolutionary time is fundamental to understanding the distribution of biodiversity and for conservation prioritization. Here, we identify cradles and museums of angiosperm generic diversity across tropical Africa, one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. Regions containing...

Background and aims-Within the framework of the renewed production of the Flore d'Afrique centrale, the grasses are being studied to accomplish their treatment. Taxonomic novelties, or other information not deemed appropriate in a Flora, are published in a series of separate papers of which this is the second. Methods-Standard herbarium techniques...

Preserving tropical biodiversity is an urgent challenge when faced with the growing needs of countries. Despite their crucial importance for terrestrial ecosystems, most tropical plant species lack extinction risk assessments, limiting our ability to identify conservation priorities. Using a novel approach aligned with IUCN Red List criteria, we co...

Phylogenies are a central and indispensable tool for evolutionary and ecological research. Even though most angiosperm families are well investigated from a phylogenetic point of view, there are far less possibilities to carry out large-scale meta-analyses at order level or higher. Here, we reconstructed a large-scale dated phylogeny including near...

African bush mango trees (Irvingiaceae) are priority food trees in West and Central Africa. There are bitter-and sweet-fruited species, which are difficult to distinguish based on morphological characters. This has led to a debate about their correct taxonomic status. Furthermore, it is unclear whether they are native to the Dahomey Gap, the dry an...

Abstract—The polymorphic genus Merremia has been shown to be polyphyletic. In 1980, Xenostegia was separated from the first, based on its longitudinally dehiscing anthers, stigmas with long tapering papillae, and non-spiny, pantoporate pollen, and accommodated two species in the Old World tropics. A recent molecular study and subsequent review of t...

Background-The number of vascular plant species known to occur in Gabon rises quickly due to renewed collecting and inventory activities, often in little-known or previously uncollected areas. Methods-Herbarium material from BR, BRLU and WAG was studied. Results-Two genera (Alloteropsis, Entolasia), eleven species and one variety of grasses are rec...

Background-The genus Hypolytrum is studied during the preparation of the Cyperaceae treatment in Flore d'Afrique centrale. It is kept separate from Mapania and its African members have been divided amongst three sections. Methods-Herbarium material from BR and BRLU has been studied. A preliminary IUCN Red List assessment is performed according to t...

Palmae

Ceratophyllaceae, Cymodoceaceae, Dioncophyllaceae, Haloragaceae, Onagraceae, Potamogetonaceae, Ruppiaceae

Buy at: http://shopbotanicgarden.weezbe.com/Red-List-of-the-endemic-and-range-restricted-vascular-plants-of-Burundi-p-279-c-30_32.html A rigorous and detailed IUCN Red List evaluation of the threat status of the endemic and range-restricted vascular plant species found in Burundi is presented. The assessments are based on herbarium collection data...

Interpreting morphological variability in terms of species delimitation can be challenging. However, correcting species delineation can have strong implications for the sustainable management of exploited species. Up to now, species delimitation between two putative timber species from African forests, Entandrophragma congoense and E. angolense, re...

Mass digitization is a large undertaking for a collection. It is disruptive of routine and can challenge long-held practises. Having been through the procedure and survived, we feel we have a lot of experience to share with other institutions who are considering taking on this challenge. The changes that digitization has made to our institution are...

In preparing the treatment of Dracaena for Flore du Gabon and Flore d’Afrique centrale, a relatively high number of taxonomic and nomenclatural novelties were discovered; these are presented here. Within Dracaena five species and one forma are described as new, D. bushii, D. haemanthoides, D. marina, D. wakaensis, D. waltersiae and D. laxissima for...

Aim: To delineate bioregions in tropical Africa and determine whether different plant growth forms (trees, terrestrial herbs, lianas and shrubs) display the same pattern of regionalization, diversity and endemism as the whole flora. Location: Tropical Africa (excl. Madagascar), from 20° N to 25° S. Taxon: Vascular plants. Methods: Analyses were...

The Red List Categories and the accompanying five criteria developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) provide an authoritative and comprehensive methodology to assess the conservation status of organisms. Red List criterion B, which principally uses distribution data, is the most widely used to assess conservation status...

The Botanic Garden Meise (BR) has been involved in a mass digitization project over the past 2.5 years. At present, over 1.2 million herbarium specimens have been imaged. A third of these images already have minimal data, while the remainder data are presently being captured and should be finished in the coming months. Many lessons have been learne...

Within the framework of the preparation of the treatment of the family Dipterocarpaceae for the Flore d’Afrique Centrale, the revision of the genus Monotes in D.R. Congo is presented, including a discussion on its distinction from the closely related genus Marquesia. Monotes has suffered from taxonomic inflation. A much more synthetic treatment tha...

This catalogue provides an entry, in alphabetical order, to all families of vascular plants dealt with in the main Floras of tropical Africa.

The digitization of herbaria and their online access will greatly facilitate access to plant collections around the world. This will improve the efficiency of taxonomy and help reduce inequalities between scientists. The Botanic Garden Meise, Belgium, is currently digitizing 1.2 million specimens including label data. In this paper we describe the...

Gathered needs per type of researcher

Potato wild relatives are important sources of novel variation for the genetic improvement of the cultivated potato. Consequently, many natural populations have been sampled and were deposited as accessions in gene banks around the world. Here we investigate to what extent the genetic variation of Bolivian wild potato species is maintained under ge...

Background and aims – Within the framework of the renewed production of the Flore d’Afrique centrale, a manuscript will be prepared on the grasses. Taxonomic novelties, or other information not deemed appropriate in a Flora, will be published in a series of separate papers of which this is the first. The history of research on Central African grass...

Book Review: This is an amazing book. In just 278 pages and hundreds of high quality photographs, an incredible amount of knowl-edge formerly hidden away in the grey brain cells of the three authors, is presented in a comprehensive way. Iden-tifying plants, without having a sound prior knowledge of the plant diversity of a specific region, can be a...

The tropical vegetation of Africa is characterized by high levels of species diversity but is undergoing important shifts in response to ongoing climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressures. Although our knowledge of plant species distribution patterns in the African tropics has been improving over the years, it remains limited. Here we pr...

The tropical vegetation of Africa is characterized by high levels of species diversity but is undergoing important shifts in response to ongoing climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressures. Although our knowledge of plant species distribution patterns in the African tropics has been improving over the years, it remains limited. Here we pr...

Economically important food tree species in sub-Saharan Africa should be domesticated to enhance their production within agro forestry systems. The African bush mango trees (Irvingia species) are highly preserved and integrated in agro forestry systems in tropical Africa. However, the taxonomic debate related to the species or varietal status of th...

A flora treatment for the aquatic plant family Hydrocharitaceae occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi is given. Nowadays, the family includes the formerly recognized Najadaceae, which were treated elsewhere in this series. This volume deals with 6 genera and 15 species, one of which is newly described while one new s...

A taxonomic revision of the Old-World representatives of the fern genus Orthiopteris is presented. We recognize eight species, one of which is newly described (Orthiopteris samoensis), and five varieties, of which two are newly described (O. campylura var. insularis and O. campylura var. laxa). Orthiopteris acuminata, O. caudata, O. minor and O. ki...