A new flowering plant has been discovered in Gabon’s tropical forest by Gabonese and French botanists from the Plant Ecology, Systematics and, Evolution laboratory (Paris-Sud University/CNRS) and the Diversity, Adaptation and Development of Plants laboratory (IRD/Montpellier University). This flowering plant belongs to a new genus and a new species, and is part of the Annonaceae family. It was named Sirdavidia solannona in honour of Sir David Attenborough, the British naturalist, film director and BBC TV presenter whose work has influenced and inspired numerous biologists. The related study was published in PhytoKeys on 4 February 2015.
The discovery of a new species of Annonaceae came as quite a surprise in this region of Gabon’s Monts de Cristal national park, as the area has already been extensively explored by botanists and lies just a few hundred yards from a main road. Despite major efforts to prospect across the area, the new species Sirdavidia solannona was only found at two locations, so for the moment it has been listed as ‘endangered ’ using the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s scale of threatened species.
The flowers on this new plant, with their reflexed red petals and bright yellow stamens forming a cone, do not match any existing Annonaceae genus description. Analysis of the DNA samples confirmed the need to create a new genus to classify the new plant. The researchers also noted that its closest relative, Sirdavidia, is a species endemic to an isolated forest area in Tanzania more than 3,000 km away.
Additionally, the Sirdavidia solannona flowers are suggestive of a ‘buzz pollination’ syndrome, a very specific form of pollination by bees that move their flight muscles rapidly causing vibrations as they collect and release pollen from stamen. Sirdavidia flowers are in fact very similar in appearance to those in the tomato family (Solanaceae), specialists for buzz pollination. This similarity with Solanaceae inspired the new species name.
‘If this new system of pollination is confirmed, it would be an exceptional discovery, because it would be the first recorded case in Magnoliidae and early-diverging angiosperms (flowering plants) in general, representing 10,000 species around the world”, explain Drs. Couvreur and Sauquet.
The study’s authors decided to name the new genus in honour of Sir David Attenborough, the well-known and much-loved British broadcaster. His many natural history documentaries have had a major impact on society and inspired careers among researchers. Sirdavidia is in fact the first plant genus to be dedicated to him, although other species already bear his name. Sir David Attenborough expressed his gratitude to the authors, saying: ‘I know very well that such a decision is the greatest compliment that one biologist can pay to another and I am truly grateful.’