Abstract Background Traditional medicine remains the only health care available in many rural areas Madagascar like community of Ambalabe, located a very remote area eastern part country. With limited access to modern medicine, local population uses medicinal plants treat most diseases. In this study, we aimed inventory used by people and how those relate treatment frequent diseases encountered Ambalabe. Methods We interviewed participants order identify region them. The physician was asked...

This study focuses on the large outdoor markets of capital Madagascar, Antananarivo. As largest metropolitan area in Madagascar with a population nearly two million, region has great capacity for consumption medicinal plant remedies despite numerous pharmacies. Medicinal use spans all socioeconomic levels, and diverse allows us to wide variety people who consume these plants medical purposes. The purpose this is identify generate list sold traditional focus those collected forests around...

The ecology of Madagascar's grasslands is under-investigated and the dearth ecological understanding how disturbance by fire grazing shapes these stems from a perception that shaped Malagasy only after human arrival. However, worldwide, shape tropical over evolutionary timescales, it curious Madagascar should be global anomaly. We examined functional community across 71 communities in Central Highlands. Combining multivariate abundance models composition clustering grass traits, we...

This paper reports a study undertaken in three remote communities (Mahaboboka, Amboronabo, Mikoboka), located Sakaraha, Southwestern Madagascar. Not only villages are far away from sanitary infrastructures and doctors but drugs consulting fees unaffordable to villagers. They rely essentially on natural resources for health care as most of rural areas aims document medicinal plants used by Sakaraha present the important plant species traditional medicine. Semi – structured interview was...

Grassland, woodland and forest are three key vegetation types that co-occur across the central highlands of Madagascar, where has historically been considered as degraded forest. Here, we use grass functional traits to inform our understanding biogeography Malagasy differentiation in region. We sampled community composition at 56 sites Madagascar spanning grassland, selected seven known correlate with different aspects life history collated via GrassBase (habit, culm type, physiology, leaf...

Rural households in the Mahafaly region of semi-arid SW-Madagascar strongly depend on exploitation natural resources for their basic needs and income regeneration. An overuse such threatens environment people's livelihood. Our study focuses diversity use wild yams medicinal plants. We hypothesized that knowledge these highly depends farmers' socio-economic household characteristics. To test this hypothesis, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted based semi-structured interviews recording...

Agnalavelo forest provides necessary natural resources to people who live in its surroundings (Communities of Mahaboboka, Amboronabo and Mikoboka southwestern Madagascar). The aim this study is document goods ecosystem services provided by local use it as a tool for the identification priorities conservation. Oral interviews were undertaken from 2010–2013 with communities living vicinity forest. This also investigated resource use, conducted inventories tree species, estimated wood...

Known worldwide as the "traveler's tree", Malagasy endemic species Ravenala madagascariensis Sonn. (Strelitziaceae) is considered an iconic symbol of Madagascar. It a widespread in eastern part country with four different varieties which are well represented Ambalabe community. All them used for purposes and represents important cultural value lives local population. However, uses only generally known by Thus, this study, we report on its importance to people. Semi-structured interviews...

Abstract With over 25,000 species, orchids are among families with remarkable high rate of diversification. Since Darwin's time, major advances attributed the exceptional diversity to plant–pollinator interactions. However, unraveling processes and factors that determine phenotypic genotypic variation natural orchid populations remains a challenge. Here, we assessed genetic population structure floral differentiation in recently diverged leafless Vanilla species world biodiversity hotspot,...

The pantropical genus Vanilla is a member of the Orchidaceae family, one largest and most diverse families angiosperms in world. It originated America differentiated America, Africa, Asia. About 132 species have now been accepted since discovery genus. Within genus, leaflessness has appeared at least three independent times, Asia, as an adaptation to drought conditions. South-West Indian Ocean (SWIO) region, biodiversity hotspot for orchids, home seven leafless species. Chloroplast markers...

Abstract Tropical grassy biomes have variable tree cover and are often characterized by a flammable ground layer where the dominating grass species strategies to persist proliferate with frequent fire. However, there is limited understanding of how growth flammability traits respond light availability. We experimentally grew 14 characteristic Malagasy Central Highlands for one year four treatments exclusion ranging from 0 – 60%. Eight plant functional leaf were measured: height, bulk...

Human activities and climate crises have resulted in severe disturbances affecting tropical forests. Here, we address the responses of leafless Vanilla spp. to open habitats, drought, scarcity large trees as phorophytes, with a focus on root system. First, compared abundance vanilla plants morphology conserved degraded Next, analysed variations anatomical traits along rainfall gradient. Our results showed contrasting depending ecoregion. In northern humid forest, both density phorophytes...

Despite the substantial area covered by grasslands in Madagascar (65%), taxonomy of grasses (Poaceae), which represent main plant component these vegetation types, is still understudied. Inventories and detailed specimen identification work from 1 2 localities Itremo Massif Protected Area allowed us to compile a list present area. In total, members eight subfamilies, 56 genera, 99 species have been recorded Massif. Grasslands cover 75% are dominated Panicoideae (65%) C4 plants. The genera...

Abstract The leafless Vanilla species complex from the South‐West Indian Ocean (SWIO) region has long been a taxonomic challenge, due to limited patterns of morphological differentiation and an absence variation within chloroplast sequences. This includes seven known morphospecies: V. madagascariensis , bosseri decaryana perrieri endemic Madagascar, humblotii presumed as Comoros Archipelago, but also present in roscheri East African coast, phalaenopsis Seychelles. A previous population...

Grasses are one of the best documented plant families worldwide in terms taxonomy, but they still poorly known Madagascar. Our understanding their diversity remains incomplete since grasses and grasslands assumed by many tobe weeds degraded wastelands. This project aimed to list thegrasses Isalo National Park (NP) order understand theirdiversity endemicity, as well history Isalo’s grasslands. Examination herbarium specimens new field inventories allowed us confirm 589 records grass...

Wilkin P., Hladik A., Jeannoda V. & Weber O. 2009. — The threatened edible yams of the Dioscorea sambiranensis R.Knuth species complex (Dioscoreaceae): a new and subspecies. Adansonia, sér. 3, 31 (2): 249-266.The is endemic to Northern North-Western Madagascar. Its taxa have broad, cordate leaves with petioles roughly equal in length blade, lax male inflorescences flowers on long pedicels arranged cymules usually five or more flat discoid floral tori. Following study its morphological...

Gloeocantharellus andasibensis sp. nov. is recognized by orange-red basidiomata with a convex to plane, innately fibrillose and viscid pileus, ellipsoid amygdaliform, small, verrucose basidiospores, distinct nrITS sequence. This the first record of genus from Madagascar. To improve understanding nomenclature genus, type specimen G. okapaensis specimens lateritius corneri accessioned in fungarium Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew were also sequenced.

Human activities and climate crises have resulted in severe disturbances affecting tropical forests. Here, we addressed the responses of leafless Vanilla spp. to open habitats, drought, scarcity large trees as phorophytes, with a focus on root system. First, compared number vanilla plants morphology conserved degraded Next, analysed variations anatomical traits along gradient decreasing rainfall. Our results showed contrasting depending ecoregion. In northern humid forest, both density...