ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess


Abstract Number: 4218
Poster No. = 720


DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS OF AFRICAN MARANTACEAE


Matchu-Mandje Jean Baptiste Dhetchuvi, Institut Supérieur Pedagogique, République Démocratique du Congo


The African flora of Marantaceae consists of 11 genera and 42 infrageneric taxa. This work deals with distribution of Marantaceae in Africa according to ecological affinities and distribution areas of these 11 genera and 42 infrageneric taxa. Ecological affinities show that Marantaceae are plants mainly from secondary forests, rain forests and gallery forests. Most species occur under 1000 m of altitude and also large number of species are found in wet regions with annual rain over 1500 mm.Different patterns are defined using geographical distribution of African taxa. In this way the isochore" gives 35 taxa in western Gabon and Cameroon and from there the number of taxa decreases to eastern region of African rainforest. Isoflores" for 5 genera (Haumania, Hypselodelphys, Marantochloa, Megaphrynium, Sarcophrynium) with more than 3 species minimum show same pattern as isochore".According to geographical areas of infrageneric taxa, distribution patterns are mainly included in African rainforest area. Several disjunction and endemism patterns are also outlined.The distribution patterns of Marantaceae suit also to the Gabon and Cameroon glacial rainforest refuges of Maley (1994) and Sosef (1994) and others, but they have some particularities.


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