Preliminary placement and new records of an overlooked Amazonian tree, Christiana mennegae (Malvaceae)

Abstract

Christiana mennegae is a phylogenetically enigmatic taxon and represents a case in point of a species whose presence escaped the radar of the Amazon lists and the Brazilian Flora project. Here we expand its distribution by adding new records from Peru and overlooked ones from Brazil. To investigate its phylogenetic placement in the Brownlowioideae, part of the rbcL gene of the plastid and the intergenic ITS2 region were sequenced. Macro- and micro-morphological investigation of features of C. mennegae using SEM of foliar, flower, fruit and seed structures are presented. A lectotype for the name is designated here. The morphology of trichomes revealed five types of trichomes ranging from glandular to branched and unbranched and we also report stomata on the seed surface for the first time in Brownlowioideae. Christiana mennegae and C. africana were recovered as sister species in the phylogenetic analysis, albeit with low to moderate support, and more species of this and closely related genera must be sampled and analyzed in order to obtain a clearer picture of the group’s affinities and relationships. We provide an update of its conservation status from Vulnerable to Least Concern. We also highlight the need for investment in the digitization of biological collections, botanical capacity building at the local level and the importance of the availability of online literature to speed the study of Amazonian plant diversity.

The complete chloroplast genome of Diplodiscus trichospermus and phylogenetic position of Brownlowioideae within Malvaceae

“…4 b, c, d, e, f, g), while based on concatenation of atp B, mat K and ndh F or atp B, trn K- mat K, ndh F, rbc L and ITS showed that Dombeyoideae was the first divergent (Fig. 4 h) [ 37 , 86 ]. The topologies between Tilioideae, Brownlowioideae, and Sterculioideae have been largely incongruent and remain unresolved.…”

Habitat Characteristics of Magnolia Based on Spatial Analysis: Landscape Protection to Conserve Endemic and Endangered Magnolia sulawesiana Brambach, Noot., and Culmsee

“…To facilitate the effective implementation of conservation, especially for endemic species with unique habitats [46], further research needs to be conducted to determine the genetic diversity of all populations, and inbreeding and genetic diversity levels [22,46] could be used to determine protection priorities, especially at the landscape level. Information on the population size, phenological patterns, morphological variations [47,48], and population genetic diversity [49] in natural habitats, including the populations in the northern and central part of Sulawesi, will determine the actions that should be taken concerning conservation in natural habitats (in-situ). This conservation should involve the indigenous knowledge of "Eluren Eng Kayobaan" (keeping and maintaining the Earth) [50] to encourage the planting of Wasian trees on community lands.…”