Ficus uogelii is a primitive monoecious species, in which staminate and pistillate Howers are distributed throughout the syconium without localization. There is no bimodal structural distinction between seed Howers and gall Howers, and any pistillate Hower is capable of seed production. Each syconiurn follows a development cycle lasting approximately 45 days. The chief pollcn vector is the agaonid wasp Allotriozoon hetermdromorphum, which is an obligate symbiont. Adult fernales of this species have mesothoracic "pockets" in which pollen is carried. Adult males do not display the anther-cutting activity reported in other species. The life cycle of the pollinator is dcscribed in rrlation to the developmental cycle of the syconium.

BackgroundThe genus Aloe is renowned for its medicinal and cosmetic properties and long history of use. Sixty-three Aloe species occur in Kenya, of which around 50 % are endemic. Several species of aloes are threatened with extinction and knowledge about their use is of major importance for sound conservation strategies. The main aims of this study were to assess the biocultural value of Aloe in Kenya by documenting local uses of aloes and evaluating how the vernacular names reflect the relative importance in different ethnic groups.MethodsEthnobotanical and ethnotaxonomical data were collected using field observations and semi-structured interviews. Information was collected by interviewing 63 respondents from nine different ethnic groups, representing different ages, gender and occupations. Statistical analyses were performed using R version 3.1.2.ResultsA total of 19 species of Aloe were found in the study area, of which 16 were used. On the generic level Aloe was easily distinguished. At species level, the local and scientific delimitation were almost identical for frequently used taxa. Aloe secundiflora, with 57 unique use records was the most important species. The two most frequently mentioned Aloe treatments, were malaria and poultry diseases. In our study area neither age nor gender had a significant influence on the level of knowledge of Aloe use. Finally, no correlation was found between extent of use and people’s perception of decrease in local aloe populations. The aloes are highly appreciated and are therefore propagated and transported over large areas when people relocate.ConclusionBiocultural value is reflected in the ethnotaxonomy of Aloe in Kenya. Different ethnic groups recognise their most-valued Aloe at the genus level as “the aloe” and add explanatory names for the other species, such as the “spotted aloe” and the “one-legged aloe”. Widespread species of Aloe have the highest number of uses. There is no obvious correlation with high use and decrease in abundance of aloes locally, and we found no compelling evidence for local uses causing devastating damage to populations of the 19 species in use, whereas habitat loss and commercial harvesting appear to be of urgent concern for these important plants.

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Lichens constitute an important component of tropical forest biodiversity. This study inventoried corticolous lichens and examined their variation in various forest types with varying climatic conditions in Mt. Kenya, East Africa. Specifically we evaluated variation of lichen assemblages in relation to forest types and tree diversity along an altitudinal gradient (1800-3100m). Ten study sites were established on two contrasting sides of Mt. Kenya in the indigenous forest: six of them at Chogoria which is on the humid southeastern windward side of the mountain and four sites on the Sirimon side located on the drier northwestern leeward side. Overall 242 lichen taxa were documented; with Chogoria and Sirimon forests having 148 and 94 species that translated to an adequate sampling effort of 74 % and 68 %, respectively. The two contrasting forest types (Chogoria and Sirimon) supported slightly different lichens assemblages. Meanwhile lichen assemblages were found to significantly vary with elevation (or forest types) and with tree host. Posterior analyses showed that the differences were significant among sampling sites (or forest types) on the Chogoria side and insignificant on the Sirimon side. Similarly the number of lichens differed significantly among the host tree species. This study stresses the urgent need to upscale the sustainable management of the presently threatened tropical forests in order to preserve their structural heterogeneity.

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