Novitates Gabonenses 91: additions to the grass flora of Gabon

Abstract

Background – The number of vascular plant species known to occur in Gabon rises quickly due to renewed collecting and inventory activities, often in little-known or previously uncollected areas.Methods – Herbarium material from BR, BRLU and WAG was studied.Results – Two genera (Alloteropsis, Entolasia), eleven species and one variety of grasses are recorded from Gabon for the first time (Alloteropsis paniculata, Cenchrus echinatus, Elionurus platypus, Entolasia olivacea, Eragrostis patens, Hyparrhenia diplandra var. mutica, Leersia triandra, Loudetia annua, Oryza longistaminata, Rottboellia purpurascens, Sacciolepis africana and Setaria geminata), while information on two erroneous species reports is provided. This brings the total number of grass species known to occur in Gabon to 190. Finally, new records of four rare species (Elionurus hensii, Guaduella macrostachys, Paratheria prostrata and Puelia schumanniana) are discussed.

Keywords

• botany
• Central Africa
• Gabon
• Gramineae
• inventor