Madagascar shelters over 14,000 plant species, of which 90% are endemic. Some of the plants are very important for the socio-cultural and economic potential. Tampolo forest, located in the northeastern part of Madagascar, is one of the remnant littoral forests hinged on by the adjacent local communities for their daily livelihood. However, it has considerably shrunk due to anthropogenic activities forming forest patches. Thus, documenting the useful plants in and around the forest is important for understanding the ethnobotany in this area. Methods: In this study we (1) collected and identified useful plants utilized by local communities. Voucher specimens were collected following the information given by interviewees, (2) recorded the collection activities and the consumption methods through semi-structured interviews of the local inhabitants, and (3) performed a phytochemical screening to identify the active compounds and the potential healing metabolites of the medicinal plants. Results: A total of 65 people between 25 and 75 years old were interviewed. Surveys recorded 123 species used as timber, food, or medicine. Among them, 92 were forest species and 31 were ruderal species. Medicinal plants were mostly used to cure stomach ailments (71%), fever (33.3%), and fatigue (25%) with leaves (68%) being the most used plant part. Phytochemical analyses of 20 endemic medicinal species showed the presence of compounds that could be responsible for the therapeutic effects of the plants. Conclusions: Tampolo forest proves to be an important littoral forest highly utilized by the adjacent local communities due to the presence of a high number of useful plants which are mostly endemic to the region. Hence, our investigation assessed the importance of these species in the locality and this can be used for further study on ecology, conservation, and valorization of these species.

Summary: Grasses (Poaceae) comprise around 11,800 species and are central for human livelihoods and terrestrial ecosystems. Knowing their relationships and evolutionary history is key to comparative research and crop breeding. Advances in genome-scale sequencing allow for increased breadth and depth of phylogenomic analyses, making it possible to infer a new reference species tree of the family. We inferred a comprehensive species tree of grasses by combining new and published sequences for 331 nuclear genes from genome, transcriptome, target enrichment and shotgun data. Our 1,153-tip tree covers 79% of grass genera (including 21 genera sequenced for the first time) and all but two small tribes. We compared it to a 910-tip plastome tree. The nuclear phylogeny matches that of the plastome at most deep branches, with only a few instances of incongruence. Gene tree–species tree reconciliation suggests that reticulation events occurred repeatedly in the history of grasses. We provide a robust framework for the grass tree of life to support research on grass evolution, including modes of reticulation, and genetic diversity for sustainable agriculture.

Summary: Current generic delimitation in subtribe Isoglossinae of Acanthaceae is discussed using available morphological and molecular data. Particular consideration is given to the small genera endemic to Madagascar — Celerina Benoist, Melittacanthus S.Moore, Sphacanthus Benoist and the illegitimate Conocalyx Benoist — and how these relate to the current circumscription of Isoglossa Oerst. The relative merits and challenges of recognising a broadly circumscribed Isoglossa are considered. Isoglossa s.l. is readily recognisable by combining a bilabiate corolla, with an androecium comprising two bithecous stamens and lacking staminodes, and with the presence of gürtelpollen (i.e. bipororate pollen, circular in apertural view and with a pronounced interapertural “girdle” of tectate exine), whilst the segregate genera as currently defined are not separable morphologically. However, the limited molecular phylogenetic data available to date indicate that Isoglossa s.l. is paraphyletic. Pending further molecular studies of this group to clarify generic delimitation, it is proposed that all new taxa in bithecous Isoglossinae should be described in Isoglossa as an interim solution. Four new species of Isoglossa are described: I. eburnea Onjalal. & I.Darbysh., I. pterocalyx I.Darbysh. & Phillipson, I. pseudoanisotes I.Darbysh. and I. conocalyx I.Darbysh. & Callm., the lattermost of which is based on Conocalyx laxus Benoist nom. illegit. In addition, Justicia onilahensis Benoist (including Ritonia poissonii Benoist) and Anisotes perplexus T.F.Daniel, Letsara & Martín-Bravo are transferred to Isoglossa, and three names within Justicia L. are synonymised within existing taxa in Isoglossinae. Lectotypes are selected for Sphacanthus brillantaisia Benoist, S. humbertii Benoist and Justicia subpaniculata Benoist (=Celerina seyrigii Benoist var. egena Benoist).

Background Madagascar shelters over 14,000 plant species out of which 90% are endemic to the region. Some of the plants are very important for the socio-cultural and economic potential. Tampolo forest is one of the remnant littoral forests hinged on by the adjacent local communities for their daily livelihood. However, it has considerably shrunk due to anthropogenic activities forming forest patches. Thus, documenting the useful plants in and around the forest is important for understanding the ethnobotany in this area. Methods In this study, we 1) collected and identified useful plants utilized by local communities. Voucher specimens were collected following the information given by interviewees. 2) recorded the collection activities and the consumption methods through semi-structured interviews of the local inhabitants. 3) did a phytochemical screening to identify the active compounds and the potential healing metabolites of the medicinal plants. Results A total of 65 people between 25 to 75 years old were interviewed. Surveys recorded 123 species used as timber, food or medicine. Among them, 92 were forest species and 31 were ruderal species. Medicinal plants were mostly used to cure diarrhea, stomachache, and fever with leaves being the most used plant part. Phytochemical analyses of 20 endemic medicinal species showed the presence of compounds that could be responsible for the therapeutic effects of the plants. Conclusions Tampolo forest proves to be an important littoral forest highly utilized by the adjacent local communities due to the presence of high number of useful plants which are mostly endemic to the region. Hence, our investigation assessed the importance of these species in the locality and this can be used for further study on ecology, conservation and valorization of these species.

Justicia tanalensis (Acanthaceae) was rediscovered from the central highland of Madagascar since the last collection in 1895. Its morphological characters are reported and amended with photographs in this paper. The species is characterized by a prostrate herbaceous habit and a simple spike with one flower per node. It has a distribution range in the central-eastern Madagascar. The conservation assessment of the species is provided. Because no holotype was indicated in the protologue and the type specimens cited by the original author were collected in two different times, they should be considered as two gatherings and they are syntypes. The lectotype specimen of the name is designated here as well.