Passion and Combat on a Floral Stage: A New Species of Uvariopsis (Annonaceae) from the Monts de Cristal, Gabon, with Notes on its Unique Pollination Ecology/

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EN - Passion and Combat on a Floral Stage: A New Species of Uvariopsis (Annonaceae) from the Monts de Cristal, Gabon, with Notes on its Unique Pollination Ecology

FR - Passion et combat sur une scène florale : une nouvelle espèce d’Uvariopsis (Annonaceae) des Monts de Cristal, Gabon, avec des notes sur son écologie de pollinisation unique

Abstract / Résumé

EN – Gabon, a biodiversity hub, has revealed a new Annonaceae, Uvariopsis niangadoumae sp. nov., known only from a population in Monts de Cristal National Park. Fieldwork was conducted to collect plant specimens and observe floral visitors. The phylogeny of Uvariopsis was reconstructed by maximum likelihood from hundreds of nuclear markers. Thus, the pollination study included microscopic analysis of pollen, recording of female flower visitors by camera trap (PICT), and identification of collected insects by DNA barcoding.
Furthermore, this endemic tree of the Monts de Cristal National Park, Uvariopsis niangadoumae (five meters), has fragrant leaves, foul-smelling and few flowers (cauliflory), as well as large pollen dispersed in tetrads. As a member of the "large-leaved clade" (five taxa), the species is pollinated during the day by a rove beetle (Staphylinidae). The beetle is attracted by the scent and fungal appearance of the petals, using the female flowers as a breeding site where the males compete for territory.
These results confirm the importance of the Monts de Cristal National Park for biodiversity and highlight the urgency of conserving Uvariopsis niangadoumae. The species is now being closely monitored for ex situ propagation. Twenty individuals of this new species are already included in the Kinguélé Aval project's conservation nursery, which manages 56 species in total.

FR – Le Gabon, véritable centre de biodiversité, a révélé une nouvelle espèce d’Annonaceae, Uvariopsis niangadoumae sp. nov., connue uniquement d’une population dans le parc national des Monts de Cristal. Des travaux de terrain ont été réalisés pour collecter des spécimens végétaux et observer les visiteurs floraux. La phylogénie du genre Uvariopsis a été reconstruite par la méthode du maximum de vraisemblance à partir de centaines de marqueurs nucléaires. L’étude de la pollinisation a inclus des analyses microscopiques du pollen, l’enregistrement des visiteurs des fleurs femelles par piège photographique (PICT), et l’identification des insectes collectés par barcoding ADN.
De plus, cet arbre endémique du parc national des Monts de Cristal, Uvariopsis niangadoumae (cinq mètres), possède des feuilles parfumées, des fleurs peu nombreuses et malodorantes (cauliflorie), ainsi qu’un pollen de grande taille dispersé en tétrades. Membre du « clade à grandes feuilles » (cinq taxons), l’espèce est pollinisée durant la journée par un coléoptère staphylinide (Staphylinidae). Ce dernier est attiré par l’odeur et l’aspect fongique des pétales, utilisant les fleurs femelles comme site de reproduction où les mâles se disputent le territoire.
Ces résultats confirment l’importance du parc national des Monts de Cristal pour la biodiversité et soulignent l’urgence de conserver Uvariopsis niangadoumae. L’espèce fait désormais l’objet d’un suivi attentif pour sa propagation ex situ. Vingt individus de cette nouvelle espèce sont déjà inclus dans la pépinière de conservation du projet Kinguélé Aval, qui gère un total de 56 espèces.

Authors / Auteurs

Thomas L.P. Couvreur, Raoul Niangadouma, Igor Nguimbit, Anne-Hélène Paradis, Léo-Paul M.J. Dagallier, Lola Baudoin-Huit, Myriam Collin, Julien M. Haran, Vincent Droissart

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5091/plecevo.152843

Journal : Plant Ecology and Evolution 158 (2) : 294–308, 2025
Published : 28 August 2025

Keywords / Mots-clés :

Camera trap, hydrological dam, IUCN conservation, plant-insect interactions, saprocantharophily, Staphylinidae


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