It was discovered in tropical Ebo forest of Cameroon and is native to the region. Albani Rocchetti G, Armstrong CG, Abeli T, Orsenigo S, Jasper C, Joly S, Bruneau A, Zytaruk M, Vamosi JC. Examples of other species that, like Uvariopsis dicaprio, appear to be strictly endemic to the Ebo area on current evidence are presented in Table 2. Background: Their pedicels, which connect the flower to the stem, are 1.82.5 cm long and about 1 mm in diameter. Uvariopsis dicaprio (Annonaceae) a new tree species with notes on its In 2021, Kew scientists named more than 200 plants and fungi across the world some of which are already extinct or threatened because of the effects of climate change, the network reported. Barthlott W, Lauer W, Placke A. This is a plant which, for a botanist, just jumps out at you, says Cheek. Their arrangement is distichous, and they are typically spaced 1.52.8 cm apart (but are sometimes as close as 1.2 cm or as far as 4.3 cm). An evergreen tree native to Cameroons tropical Ebo forest has been given the scientific name Uvariopsis dicaprioand is the first new plant species to be described in 2022, The new species Uvariopsis dicaprioLorna MacKinnon. The fleshy orange-red fruits of Uvariopsis are consumed by primates, which are thought to disperse their seeds (Dominy & Duncan, 2005). And a new Cape primrose from Katanga in Congo is at risk from copper mining. Male inflorescences cauliflorous, scattered along the trunk from near ground level to the top of the trunk 2.53 m above the ground, each 17-flowered (Figs. Gottsberger G, Meinke S, Porembski S. First records of flower biology and pollination in African Annonaceae: isolona, piptostigma, uvariodendron, monodora and. The Cross-Sanaga Interval appears to be the main centre of diversity of Uvariopsis. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine FOIA R.E. Thiers B. Uvariopsis dicaprio is therefore here assessed as Critically Endangered, CR B1+2ab(iii), D. PHENOLOGY. -. A tropical, evergreen tree from Cameroon, the first plant species to be named as new to science in 2022, has officially been labelled Uvariopsis dicaprio today in honour of the actor Leonardo. 2021 Mar 15;9:e11036. Cameroon is the centre of diversity of the genus with 14 of the 19 known species. HABITAT. The Plants of Dom, Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon: A Conservation Checklist. Stoffelen et al. The highest species diversity for any country is found in Cameroon, now with 14 species, and with six of these nationally endemic. hypothesise that U. dicaprio is monoecious, with separate male and female flowers. [1] Species [ edit] Uvariopsis bakeriana (Hutch. The map was made using QGIS 3.12 (https://www.qgis.org). 'Ghost' orchid that grows in the dark among new plant finds (2003) and Couvreur & Luke (2010). Inner surface of petals smooth, non-tuberculate, with a shallow elliptic-oblong excavation c. 8 5 mm, the margin of the excavation raised, the apex with a ridge extending along the midline to the petal apex, glabrous apart from a few scattered erect, minute white hairs 0.05 mm long at the excavation apex. and Afrothismia pachyantha Schltr. About 100 years after her painting.. This habit is also exhibited by Isolona cauliflora Verdc. PeerJ. It adds to the list of the strange and spectacular plants that scientists have named in the past 12 months. New Phytol. which occurs from Cameroon to South Sudan, Zambia and Kenya. Leonardo DiCaprio attended the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow, The 'dicaprio tree' grows only in one location in a remote tropical forest, The 'ghost orchid' grows in complete darkness, This wild tobacco plant can snare small insects, Deadly heatwave sweeps across southern Europe, US Secret Service ends White House cocaine probe, Russian general fired after criticising army leaders, America's oldest craft brewery shuts after 127 years, Greek coastguard 'pressured' migrant boat survivors, Hundreds of golden retrievers gather in Highlands, Uproar over Italian judge's 10-second groping rule. Uvariopsis ebo nom. It is also classified as critically endangered and a member of the ylang ylang family. Cheek & Csiba (2002) since new discoveries are still frequently being made in the Ebo Forest. Global distribution of species diversity in vascular plants: towards a world map of phytodiversity. "We very much appreciated the support Leo gave us in campaigning to protect Ebo last year so it seemed fitting to honor him in this way, naming a species unique only to this forest, after him," study author Martin Cheek, a researcher at RBG Kew, says in a statement. The .gov means its official. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Kamer H, Maas PJM, Wieringa JJ, Specht CD. The Ebo Forest: four years of preliminary research and conservation of the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes vellerosus) Pan Africa News. We show that the highest density of species of the genus (12), and of narrow endemics (5), is found in the Cross-Sanaga Interval of SE Nigeria and Western Cameroon. Cameroon (Fig. eCollection 2021. Revision of the genera. 1). an order that would allow industrial logging in the Ebo Forest. Leonardo 'Tree' Caprio: New species named after star For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The montane trees of the Cameroon Highlands, West-Central Africa, with. Kew's 2021 top ten new species list Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Trunk apex with cauliflorous flowers and canopy. Before This is the first plant new to science to be officially named by scientists with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this year. CONSERVATION STATUS. the female flowers mature before the male (Gottsberger, Meinke & Porembski, 2011), and our evidence for U. dicaprio suggests the same sequence. & Thomson are pollinated by nocturnal moths and small beetles (Parrotta, 2014). We review the other seven narrowly endemic and threatened species unique to the Ebo forest of Cameroon and discuss the phytogeographic affinities of the area. Cheek M, Prenner G, Tchiengu B, Faden RB. Uvariopsis dicaprio & Dalziel) Robyns & Ghesq. Important plant areas: revised selection criteria for a global approach to plant conservation. Terms of Use (A) habit, cauliflorous inflorescences on trunk; (B) leafy branch, one seasons, Figure 4. The tropical African evergreen forest tree genus Uvariopsis Engl. A synopsis of Soyauxia (Peridiscaceae, formerly Medusandraceae) with a new species from Liberia. However, the area outside the two research camps, especially the western edge, has not been fully surveyed for plants. Hook.f. It reaches about 13 feet tall and has glossy, yellow-green leaves growing in bunches along its trunk. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12614 Abstract Background: Of the 14 species of the genus in Cameroon, 11 are cauliflorous. Activists like DiCaprio sprang into action, petitioning against the logging. In 2020, the government of Cameroon announced an initiative to log nearly 170,000 acres of the Ebo Forest's 500,000 acres. The government later revoked plans to allow logging, although the forest has yet to be officially designated a national park. Your Privacy Rights Numerous other plant genera have their centre of diversity in the interval (Cheek et al., 2001) and some are endemic to it, e.g. 2022 Sep 20;207:1-532. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.207.61432. Conclusions: nud. Bright, glossy, pale yellow-green petals are otherwise unknown in a genus where the petals are otherwise dull shades of pink to purple and brown. FOIA R.E.Fr. This natural habitat that theyre growing in especially forests, but other habitats, too is increasingly and more rapidly being destroyed by us humans without knowing whats there.. Additionally, several species initially thought endemic to Mt Kupe and the Bakossi Mts and adjoining areas in the Cameroon Highlands have subsequently been found at Ebo, e.g. "This natural habitat that they're growing in - especially forests, but other habitats too, is increasingly and more rapidly being destroyed by us humans without knowing what's there. In addition, new names contained in this work which have been issued with identifiers by IPNI will eventually be made available to the Global Names Index. Uvariopsis dicaprio [6] Cheek & Gosline Uvariopsis dioica (Diels) Robyns & Ghesq. PMC Uvariopsis dicaprio (Annonaceae) a new tree species with notes on its pollination biology, and the Critically Endangered narrowly endemic plant species of the Ebo Forest, Cameroon. (in press) all from Cameroon, U. citrata 1996;50:317328. Scientists say they're racing to catalog the planet's biodiversity before it's too late, the Guardian reports. https://www.globalwildlife.org/blog/ebo-forest-a-stronghold-for-cameroons-wildlife/ and https://blog.resourceshark.com/cameroon-approves-logging-concession-that-will-destroy-ebo-forest-gorilla-habitat/ both accessed 12 April 2021). The plant, Uvariopsis dicaprio, is an evergreen tree found in Cameroon. We speculate that the flowers of Uvariopsis dicaprio, unique in the genus, may also be adaptated for moth pollination, otherwise unrecorded in indigenous African Annonacaeae (Gottsberger, 2012). "This could just be a stay of execution," Dr Cheek added. Researchers credit DiCaprio's activism with helping savethe tropical Ebo Forest, the plant's home, Chen Ly reports for New Scientist. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. Cheek M, Mackinder B, Gosline G, Onana J-M, Achoundong G. The phytogeography and flora of western Cameroon and the Cross River-Sanaga River interval. Gereau & Kenfack (2000), U. submontana Alvarez MG, Cheek M, Sonk B. Kupeantha yabassi (Coffeeae-Rubiaceae), a new critically endangered shrub species of the Ebo Forest area, Littoral Region, Cameroon. However, the forest habitat of this species remains unprotected and threats of logging and conversion of the habitat to plantations remain, and mining is also a threat. Rasha Aridi is a science journalist based in Richmond, Virginia. 1 & 2). We also searched JSTOR Global Plants (https://plants.jstor.org/ accessed March 2021) for additional material, and finally the Global Biodiversity Facility (GBIF, www.gbif.org accessed March 2021). Dr. Martin Cheek is referring to the newly named tree Uvariopsis dicaprio, which is known to grow in just a single forest, reports New Scientist. The planet is a poorer place when we lose the species that have taken, in most cases, millions of years to evolve, says Cheek. (2007)). The tropical African evergreen forest tree genus Uvariopsis Engl. The Uvariopsis dicaprio tree. Uvariopsis dicaprio. African Plants. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew, London gave a "critically endangered" evergreen tree, found in a Cameroonian forest, the official moniker of "Uvariopsis dicaprio." endemic to Cameroon and known from a single specimen. eCollection 2022. One of the species, Didymoplexis stella-silvae, grows in complete darkness and its vivid white flowers only open immediately after rain and close back up after about 24 hours. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted The small tropical evergreen tree. Until species are known to science, they cannot be assessed for their conservation status and the possibility of protecting them is reduced (Cheek et al., 2020). Altitude varies from c. 200 m to 1,200 m elevation. A revised key to the 14 Cameroonian species of Uvariopsis is presented. The "dicaprio" tree is the first plant new to science to be officially named by Kew scientists in 2022, through publication in the scientific journal, PeerJ. Fr. Uvariopsis dicaprio: A new Tree found in Cameroon and here - Gyansora In August 2021, Mark Chase, also at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and his colleagues named seven new Australian species of wild tobacco (Nicotiana). doi: 10.7717/peerj.11036. & Diels (Annonaceae) is characterised by unisexual, usually cauliflorous flowers with a uniseriate corolla of four petals, and. Cookie Settings, New Extinct Species of 'Ridiculously Cute,' Tiny Penguins Discovered in New Zealand, The Lonely Battle to Save Species on a Tiny Speck in the Pacific, Five Astounding Orca Behaviors Explained, From Ramming Boats to Hunting Great White Sharks, A Surfboard-Snatching Sea Otter Is Vexing Wildlife Officials in California. Uvariopsis dicaprio: A new rare tree species has been named after Scientists christened a newly discovered species of tree Uvariopsis dicaprio in recognition of Leonardo DiCaprio, a U.S. actor who has worked to prevent logging in the endangered Ebo forest where the only known specimen of the tree was found growing. Sixty-eight globally threatened plant species are currently listed from Ebo on the IUCN Red List website (https://www.iucnredlist.org/ accessed 12 April 2021) and the number is set to rise rapidly as more of Cameroons rare species are assessed for their conservation status as part of the Cameroon TIPAs programme. A member of the ylang ylang family, it has been found only in a small area of the forest and is critically endangered. Authors The petals of Uvariopsis dicaprio do not seem to reflex at anthesis exposing the staminal dome as they do in the other species, rather they open only slightly, concealing the staminal dome (Fig. In connection with preparation of a Conservation Checklist of the plants of the Ebo Forest, Littoral Region, a plant specimen (MacKinnon 51, Figs. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help The Ebo Forest area is a highly threatened centre of diversity in the Littoral Region of Cameroon, globally important for conservation with many threatened species including 68 threatened species of plant, yet not formally protected. [1 . This is the Uvariopsis dicaprio tree, in the Ebo Forest in Cameroon. Lisse, Netherlands: Balkema; 2003. In: Ghazanfar SA, Beentje H, editors. There are typically 47 flowers in each inflorescence (but sometimes as few as 1). The dicaprio tree" is a small tropical evergreen tree with yellow flowers growing from its trunk. Leonardo DiCaprio gets tree species named after him for saving Cameroon The herbarium collection MacKinnon 51 from Ebo is hypothesized to represent a new species to science of Uvariopsis. Red data book of the flowering plants of Cameroon, IUCN global assessments. Barthlott W, Lauer W, Placke A. Of the 400,000 plant species known to science, around 40 percent are at risk of extinction. Advertising Notice Photo Lorna MacKinnon. We test the hypothesis that MacKinnon 51 represents a new species to science, using the most recent dichotomous identification key, and comparing it morphologically with reference material of all known species of the genus. Dicam Trail 2000 m from Bekob camp, male fl. Botanical surveys and other plant studies for conservation management in forest areas north, west and east of Ebo resulting in tens of thousands of specimens being collected and identified have failed to find any additional specimens of this species (Cheek et al., 1996; Cable & Cheek, 1998; Cheek, Onana & Pollard, 2000; Maisels, Cheek & Wild, 2000, Harvey et al., 2004; Cheek et al., 2004; Cheek, Harvey & Onana, 2010; Harvey, Tchiengue & Cheek, 2010; Cheek, Harvey & Onana, 2011). Flowering has been observed in late March and early April (B. Morgan, 2021, personal communication). the female globular flowers are born on slender pedicels to c. 50 cm long embedded in the leaf litter. Gottsberger, Meinke & Porembski (2011) studied the visitors to U. pedunculosa (identified as U. congolana) and concluded that pollination likely was by small litter-flies (not beetles). Cameroon is the centre of diversity of the genus with 14 of the 19 known species. Concerted field monitoring to observe pollinators is needed during the flowering season of Uvariopsis dicaprio to test this hypothesis. Biodiversity, Taxonomy & Uses. "We think he was crucial in helping to stop the logging of the Ebo Forest," said Dr Martin Cheek of Kew. Trunk terete, lacking flutes or prop roots, 1.82.5 cm diameter at 1.5 m above the ground, bark smooth, dark-brown, with sparse, longitudinal lines of white lenticels (Fig. Uvariopsis dicaprio 3, Table 1). Stamens shortly cylindrical-angular, c. 0.5 0.1 (0.2) mm, connective with two lateral extrorse longitudinal anther cells, each exceeding the connective. Cheek M, Williams S. A review of african saprophytic flowering plants. "The planet isa poorer place when we lose the species that have taken, in most cases, millions of years to evolve," Cheek tells New Scientist. [1][2] It has only been found in the Ebo Forest in Cameroon on the Dicam trail 2000 meters away from Bekob camp. See this image and copyright information in PMC, Taxonomic revision of the threatened African genus, The montane trees of the Cameroon Highlands, West-Central Africa, with. The "dicaprio tree," also known as Uvariopsis dicaprio, is a plant grown only in the Ebo Forest of Cameroon, which is widely recognized for its incredible biodiversity, according to its. Its so spectacular.. Cauliflorous inflorescences on trunk. Numerous new plant species have been published from Ebo in recent years. Cheek M, Nic Lughadha E, Kirk P, Lindon H, Carretero J, Looney B, Douglas B, Haelewaters D, Gaya E, Llewellyn T, Ainsworth M, Gafforov Y, Hyde K, Crous P, Hughes M, Walker BE, Forzza RC, Wong KM, Niskanen T. New scientific discoveries: plants and fungi. Seed-spitting primates and the conservation and dispersion of large-seeded trees. In fact, three of the 16 new orchid species are now extinct in the wild. Mertens J, Tropek R, Foryuy F, Maicher V, Janeek S. Communities of flower visitors of. Unusual and distinctive features of Uvariopsis dicaprio within the genus include the colour, shape and texture of the corolla. 2018 Nov 19;374(1763):20170402. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0402. They determined it was previously unknown to science, and also appears to be unknown among local communities. et Dagallier, 2022. All drawn from. Careers, Unable to load your collection due to an error. Cheek M, Feika A, Lebbie A, Goyder D, Tchiengue B, Sene O, Tchouto P, Burgt X. Uvariopsis ebo (Annonaceae) a new, Critically Endangered tree species from the Ebo Forest, Cameroon and a key to the Cameroonian species of Uvariopsis. Some highlights include a tobacco plant in western Australia that traps insects with a sticky substance; a tiny fungus found growing inside a banana plant seed; and a "ghost orchid" that grows in complete darkness. The following information was supplied relating to field study approvals (i.e., approving body and any reference numbers): IRAD (Institute for Agronomic Research and Development)-National Herbarium of Cameroon. In this paper we test the hypothesis that it is a new species to science endemic to Ebo and name the new species as Uvariopsis dicaprio. Scientists credit the actor with helping save the Ebo Forestthe plants homefrom logging. Wilson Wong is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News Digital. NOTES. Accessibility Other cauliflorous species of Uvariopsis have few to many-flowered fasciculate inflorescences, a peduncle not being observed, the pedicels arising directly from a perennial woody burr. Leaves distichous, with punctations (minute translucent glands in the interior of the blade), lacking scent when crushed (collection metadata, MacKinnon 51), blades oblanceolate 17.720.2 (23) (6.4) 77.9 cm, acumen narrowly triangular (0.5) 11.3 cm long, base broadly acute with convex edges, minutely cordate, blade mounted above petiole, margins undulate-sinuous (live & dried), midrib impressed on adaxial surface, inconspicuous, below a groove; on abaxial surface subcylindrical, 11.2 mm diam., conspicuous; secondary veins 58 (9) on each side of the midrib, brochidodromous, arising at c. 50 from the midrib, initially straight, then curving in the outer third, uniting with the secondary nerve above to form a looping inframarginal nerve, attaining 34 mm from the margin; intersecondary nerves sometimes present, tertiary nerves raised, conspicuous, forming a reticulum with cells 45 mm long, quaternary nerves inconspicuous; glabrous (except in bud when densely orange-brown hairy, hairs c. 0.1 mm long). The small tropical evergreen tree has glossy yellow flowers that grow from its trunk. DiCaprio's name was awarded to it by UK scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew through a publication in the PeerJ magazine on Thursday. Such discoveries as this new species underline the urgency for making further such discoveries while it is still possible since in all but one of the cases given above, the species have very narrow geographic ranges and/or very few individuals, and face threats to their natural habitat, putting these species at high risk of extinction. Specimens were viewed at EA, K, P, WAG, and YA. The area of occupation of Uvariopsis dicaprio is estimated as 4 km2 using the IUCN preferred cell-size. In Uvariopsis congolana, (Diels) Robyns & Ghesq. U. dicaprio is endemic to the Ebo Forest, in the Littoral Region of Cameroon. One has disappeared due to forests being chopped down to grow plants for geranium oil used in the aromatherapy industry in Europe. On the inner surface of the petal, the concave area is demarcated by an inverted U-shaped, distinct, raised, broad ridge which seems to be the point of contact with those of the other sepals, sealing the chamber. Researchers from RBG Kew described 205 plant and fungus species new to science in 2021. Researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG) in the United Kingdom led the study to describe U. dicaprio, which was published this week in the journal Peer J. Uvariopsis dicaprio has been named after Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio (Lorna MacKinnon/PA) A tropical tree called after actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio is the first new. Uvariopsis dicaprio additionally has several features that appear unique in the genus that are presented in the notes section following the description below. Madagascar is an extraordinary, floating ark [of biodiversity], says Hermans. It was first intended to name Uvariopsis dicaprio as U. ebo and this name was used in the bioRxiv pre-print (Gosline et al., 2021: 5). The authors would like to thank anonymous reviewers for comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. There are still thousands of plant species and maybe millions of fungal species out there that we dont know about, Cheek said. And new for 2022 11. Coffea montekupensis In all three species of Uvariopsis where pollination studies have been done, the researchers have described the pollinators as scarce and unpredictable, and thermogenesis has not been observed. Uvariopsis dicaprio. Global distribution of Uvariopsis dicaprio, Figure 4. Robyns & Ghesq., differing in the stem, petioles and abaxial midrib glabrous (versus tomentose); number of secondary nerves on each side of the midrib 58 (versus 813); petals yellow-green, (14) 16 (5.5) 9 mm (versus wine brown, 710 2.55 mm). Read about our approach to external linking. Commons category. Concerningly, all known specimens grow in an unprotected region of the forest, earning it critically endangered status, New Scientist reports. Researchers. These can be found throughout the Australian outback. Further species described from Ebo have proved not to be endemic but to have also been found further west, in the Cameroon Highlands, particularly at Mt Kupe and the Bakossi Mts (Cheek et al., 2004). This site needs JavaScript to work properly. Martin Cheek conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed the data, prepared figures and/or tables, and approved the final draft. Uvariopsis dicaprio is so far only known from lower submontane forest (850 m elev.). Leafy stems with 34 leaves per seasons growth, terete, internodes (1.2) 1.52.8 (4.3) cm long, 0.150.2 cm diam., pale yellow-green, later orangish brown, glabrous. Harvey YB, Pollard BJ, Darbyshire I, Onana J-M, Cheek M. The plants of Bali Ngemba Forest reserve. GBIF taxon ID. In: van der Maesen LJG, van der Burgt XM, van Medenbach de Rooy JM, editors. These are all in the genus Chassalia, which belongs to the coffee family, and they include the species C. northiana, named after renowned Victorian artist Marianne North, who depicted the shrub in an 1876 oil painting. The Plants of Mount Oku and the Ijim Ridge, Cameroon, a conservation checklist.