Novitates Gabonenses 93: a fresh look at Podostemaceae in Gabon following recent inventories, with a new combination for Ledermanniella nicolasii

Abstract

Background and aims – Podostemaceae is a family of strictly aquatic plants found in rapids and waterfalls. Despite a recent treatment in the Flore du Gabon, the family remained poorly known, with no major studies including Gabonese collections, and almost no targeted inventories since 1966. We present the first large-scale inventory of this family in Gabon, targeting Podostemaceae throughout the country, providing new additions to the flora of Gabon and many new records of poorly known species. Material and methods – Fieldwork was conducted in Gabon between 2017 and 2021. The collected specimens were primarily preserved in ethanol with associated silica gel-preserved material and photographs. Material available at BR, BRLU, LBV, MO, P, WAG, and Z/ZT was examined. For each species, information on distribution and ecology is presented, as well as a distribution map in Gabon. Key results – The 500 newly collected specimens represent 91.4% of all known collections of Podostemaceae from Gabon. Three taxa are newly recorded for the country, including one genus (Inversodicraea tenax, Ledermanniella schlechteri, and Saxicolella nana). New distribution records are also presented for 13 little-known species. Four taxa are excluded from the Gabonese flora (the genus Dicraeanthus, Inversodicraea ledermannii, Ledermanniella sanagaensis, and Macropodiella garrettii). To date, 20 species belonging to five different genera are known to occur in Gabon. A new combination is proposed for Ledermanniella nicolasii, and Inversodicraea tanzaniensis is now considered as a synonym of Inversodicraea tenax.