list of figures - Terry Sunderland

CHAPTER TWO
TAXONOMIC ACCOUNT
“Taxonomies are not relevant abstractions but are the essential foundations of
conservation practice”
2.1. INTRODUCTION
- Daugherty et al., 1990.
Despite the economic importance of the rattans of Africa, until recently, the taxonomy
of this group has been uncertain. Based on recent fieldwork as well as thorough
examination of herbarium records, this taxonomic account describes 20 species within
the four genera, including two new species. A neotype is assigned for Laccosperma
robustum.
2.2. HISTORY OF CLASSIFICATION
The first rattan collections from the African continent were from specimens collected
by the French botanist Baron Palisot de Beauvois. De Beauvois, was appointed in the
capacity of “gardener” to the mission of Landolphe (1786-88), the aim of which was
to establish a French trading station at what is, today, Owerri in Nigeria. Although in
this capacity he was supposedly responsible for the establishment of plantations in the
area, he instead spent most of his time collecting herbarium specimens. Between
1786-87, de Beauvois diligently explored Owerri and the region around Benin,
travelling as far east as Calabar, collecting as he went. Despite considerable hardship 1 ,
de Beauvois’ collections provided many taxa new to science and culminated in the
publication of his nineteen-volume Flore d’Oware et de Benin en Afrique (1805-
1820). The publication of the first volume in 1805 included the first description of an
African rattan species 2 . Although morphologically distinct from its Asian relatives
particularly in its floral arrangement, de Beauvois included the taxon within the genus
1 During the duration of the mission, of the 300-strong French contingent, over 250 died within the first
twelve months (Cuvier, 1928). In 1791, despite being under the safe keeping of Landolphe, the majority
of de Beauvois’ specimens were destroyed when the British plundered Owerri in 1791. The specimens
that survive from the voyage are those that were periodically despatched by de Beauvois to Jussieu in
Paris (Merrill, 1936).
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