Pyrrosia s.l. comprises ca. 60 species with a disjunct Africa/Asia and Australia distribution. The infrageneric classification of Pyrrosia s.l. is controversial based on the phylogenetic analyses of chloroplast markers and morphology. Based on the expanded taxon sampling of Pyrrosia s.l. (51 species), we investigated its phylogeny, biogeography, character evolution and environmental adaptation by employing five chloroplastid markers (rbcL, matK, psbA-trnH, and rps4 + rps4-trnS) and one single (low)-copy nuclear gene, LEAFY. Pyrrosia s.l. was divided into six major clades and eight subclades. Reticulate evolution was revealed both among clades and among species in Pyrrosia s.l. Ancestral character state optimization revealed high levels of homoplastic evolution of the diagnostic characters in Pyrrosia s.l., while the crassulacean acid metabolism pathway seems to have an independent origin. Molecular dating and biogeographic diversification analyses suggested that Pyrrosia s.l. originated no later than the Oligocene and the main clades diversified during the Oligocene and Miocene, with southern Asia, the Indo-China Peninsula and southwestern and southern China as the most likely ancestral areas. Transoceanic long-distance dispersal, rather than vicariance, contributed to the intercontinental disjunction. Diversification scenarios of Pyrrosia s.l. under geological movements and climate fluctuation are also discussed.

Phylogeny, historical biogeography and characters evolution of the drought resistant fern Pyrrosia Mirbel (Polypodiaceae) inferred from plastid and nuclear markers

Global phylogeny and biogeography of the fern genus Ctenitis (Dryopteridaceae), with a focus on the Indian Ocean region

The Afro-alpine Zone is a fragmented vegetation type that occurs above 3200 m elevation on 14 scattered mountains and covers some 4525 km2 in tropical Africa. Defined by the strong diurnal climate of “summer every day and winter every night,” the Afro-alpine Zone is typified by a unique flora characterized by Giant Groundsel and Giant Lobelia species. The Afro-alpine Zone is mostly concentrated in the eastern region of the continent, with a single western occurrence on Mount Cameroon. It is estimated that the Afro-alpine region harbors between 515 and 521 species of flowering plants, 52 fern species, and > 277 moss species, with endemism levels around 35% for flowering plants and 30% for mosses. This represents moderate diversity and richness compared to other tropical alpine areas such as the Paramos of the South American Andes and the highlands of New Guinea. Typical plant communities in the Afro-alpine are tussock- and shrub-dominated grasslands and alpine bogs or fens, in which are embedded communities of Giant Lobelias and particularly Giant Groundsels. Biogeographically, the evolution of Afro-alpine diversity appears to be driven by age, size, and the geographical proximity of the mountains to each other, similar to the processes described by the General Dynamic Model for oceanic islands but overall much more complex. Due to the difficulty of exploration in some of these mountains and the limitation and biases of the available literature, there is work to be done in terms of finalizing data on the Afro-alpine biotic composition and determining its underlying biogeographic history. Understanding these processes may provide important insights on the conservation of these unique habitats, which are especially threatened by immediate human activities (e.g., overuse of fire) and anthropogenic-driven climatic change.

Afro-Alpine Plant Diversity in the Tropical Mountains of Africa

Climate-driven early agricultural origins and development in the Nile Delta, Egypt

The Aberdare Ranges Forest, located in the Central highlands of Kenya, is an isolated volcanic mountain in the East African Rift Valley with unique flora. Despite its refugial importance to rare and endemic plant species, the diversity of plants in the Aberdare Ranges Forest remains poorly understood. The checklist presented here is a collation of data obtained from multiple floristic surveys and from herbarium specimen collections from the forest. A total of 1260 vascular plants taxa representing 136 families, 613 genera, 67 subspecies and 63 varieties are documented. The ferns comprised 84 species, lycophytes seven, gymnosperms six and angiosperms were 1163 taxa. This represents 17.9% of the Kenyan taxa, 1.7% of the African taxa and 0.3% of all the vascular plants known in the world. A total of 18 taxa were endemic and 14 taxa were found to be threatened globally. The life form, voucher specimen(s), habitat and distribution range of each taxon and a brief analysis of taxa diversity is presented in this checklist. This is the first comprehensive inventory of vascular plants in the entire Aberdare Ranges, providing a solid basis for more sustainable management and improved conservation of this montane forest. The checklist is also an important contribution to the world checklist of plants required by the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.

/pdf/an-annotated-checklist-of-the-vascular-plants-of-aberdare-47mj914tkh.pdf

An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Aberdare Ranges Forest, a part of Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot.

In this review, we explore our current understanding of the fern and lycophyte diversity occurring in the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot (EABH). The review explores the species diversity of this region in the context of the Afromadagascan pteridophyte diversity based on an exhaustive species list assembled in the synopsis of Afromadagascan pteridophytes published by Roux in 2009. The list was updated by incorporating recent progress in our understanding of the taxonomy and phylogeny of these plants. Evidence for a distinct pteridophyte flora occurring in the East African mountain region was discovered using ordination and clustering analyses. This EABH floras shares links to other Afromadagascan pteridophyte floras such as the one in the tropical lowland forests of central and western Africa. These floras share the dominance of species that preferably occur in humid climates whereas other African pteridophyte floras tend to contain a higher proportion of xeric adapted ferns. The phylogenetic composition of the EABH pteridophyte flora was assessed by comparing global versus local proportion of orders, families, and genera. This analysis revealed distinct patterns that are partly caused by the radiation of Blotiella and Triplophyllum besides selective colonization of species pre-adapted to Afromadagascan climates. In situ speciation in the East African tropical mountains may have contributed to the global diversity of widespread genera such as Asplenium and Pteris. In summary, this is the first comprehensive attempt to assess the pteridophyte diversity of the East African mountains providing the framework for future studies on their conservation, ecology, and evolution.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jse.12232

Exploring the pteridophyte flora of the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot

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Exploring the pteridophyte flora of the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot