Porter Prescott. Lowry

Although Ecuador is the smallest of the Andean countries, it has an overall floristic diversity that compares favorably to that of its much larger neigh­bors, which is reflected by the recent discovery and description of new species in the genus Sciodaphyllum R. Browne (Araliaceae). Herein, we describe four of these new species, S. dodsonii Lowry, G. M. Plunkett & Kerdiles, S. felis Lowry, G. M. Plunkett & Kerdiles, S. guajalitense G. M. Plunkett & Lowry, and S. mind­oense G. M. Plunkett & Lowry, all from the western slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes. Three of these species are known only from Pichincha and/or Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas provinces, while the fourth has a some­what broader distribution from Imbabura Province south to Bolívar Province. All four species have capitulate ultimate inflorescence units. In addition to the descrip­tions of each of these species, we provide notes on their range and ecology, distribution maps, photographic plates, and assessments of their risk of extinction based on the Red List criteria, which indicate that two of them are Endangered (EN), one is Vulnerable (VU), and one is Near Threatened (NT), highlighting the conserva­tion needs of these taxa and the many other species of Sciodaphyllum awaiting formal description.

Diospyros schatzii Lowry, A. G. Linan & H. N. Rakouth (Ebenaceae), a new species from northeastern Madagascar, is described in honor of George E. Schatz (1953–2024), a renowned expert on the Malagasy flora and a passionate student of the genus Diospyros L. The new species occurs in low- and mid-elevation humid forest at 0–700 m. A preliminary risk of extinction assessment using the IUCN Red List criteria reveals that D. schatzii is Near Threatened (NT).

Premise: The archipelago of New Caledonia contains one of the world's most distinctive biotas. The presence of notable paleoendemics in this biota suggests that Gondwanan vicariance may have played an important role in its formation, but geological evidence indicates that New Caledonia was submerged until the Oligocene and that its flora formed from more recent long‐distance dispersal events. The lack of a fossil record contributes to uncertainties inherent in both interpretations, but newly discovered fossil plant assemblages may help clarify the origins of the New Caledonian flora.Methods: We used standard paleobotanical techniques to prepare and describe leafy conifer shoots from an early Miocene deposit (age ~19 Ma) on the Pindaï Peninsula of western New Caledonia. To determine affinities of the fossil material, we compared it to herbarium collections of extant New Caledonian conifers and the broader macrofossil record.Results: Fossil leaves contain cellular‐level details of leaf morphology and epidermis anatomy consistent with the conifer family Podocarpaceae, in particular the extant genus Dacrycarpus. However, stomata in the fossils are arranged in crowded complexes unlike those of any described Podocarpaceae taxon, and therefore we assign this material to a new extinct genus: Dacrycarpoides.Conclusions: New Caledonia is a hotspot of modern conifer biodiversity and was home to now extinct lineages as well. The presence of extinct conifers on Miocene New Caledonia is consistent with floras from neighboring landmasses and highlights the role of extinction in shaping the modern flora of New Caledonia and other Australasian landmasses.

Sciodaphyllum neillii Lowry, G. M. Plunkett & M. M. Mora (Araliaceae) is described as a new species in honor of David A. Neill. It is restricted to dwarf scrub vegetation, growing exclusively at 2100–2460 m elevation in the Cordillera del Cóndor of southeastern Ecuador. It is known from only three localities, at least one of which is threatened by recurring wildfires. A provisional risk of extinction assessment indicates that S. neillii is Endangered (EN) according to the IUCN Red List criteria.

Background and aims – As currently circumscribed, Diospyros ferrea represents one of the most geographically widespread species in the genus and had previously been described as an ochlospecies because of its particularly challenging morphological complexity. Recent studies have shown that it likely contains multiple species that differ from populations in SW India and Sri Lanka corresponding to the type, which was collected on the Malabar coast in India. Here we present the second in a series of papers that aim to revise the taxonomy of D. ferrea, treating material from Africa. Material and methods – This study was based on measurements and observations of herbarium specimens from K, MO, and P as well as scanned images from BM, BR, C, COI, EA, FHO, LISC, US, and WAG. Species were delimited based on a combination of fruit and leaf characters, in conjunction with eco-geographic distribution. Specimen records were georeferenced, mapped, and used to conduct risk of extinction assessments based on the IUCN Red List criteria. Key results – Five well-delimited and geographically coherent species are recognized among the African material previously ascribed to Diospyros ferrea, including three described as new (D. angolensis, D. moutsambotei, and D. suaheliensis) and two for which new combinations are made (D. guineensis and D. smeathmannii). We provide a diagnostic key along with detailed morphological descriptions and photos illustrating the principal characters that distinguish the five species. Preliminary risk of extinction assessments indicate that only one of them is Least Concern, whereas three are Vulnerable, and one is Endangered. Conclusion – This revision demonstrates that taxonomically challenging ochlospecies can be resolved by careful analysis of morphological characters and geographic distribution, provided adequate material is available. Studies to clarify the nature, evolutionary history, and taxonomic status of other ochlospecies recognized by Frank White (viz. D. natalensis and D. mespiliformis) should be undertaken, but may also require additional phylogenetic and/or phylogeographic data.

In 2013, all populations of the precious wood genera Dalbergia (Fabaceae) and Diospyros (Ebenaceae) from Madagascar were placed on CITES Appendix II in an effort to combat unsustainable and illicit over-exploitation and illegal exportation for the international market. The accompanying Action Plan adopted by CITES identified several information and capacity gaps, which undermine the sustainable and equitable management of these valuable resources. These gaps include the lack of practical, reliable tools to identify species along the entire value chain, from standing trees to cut wood and finished products. To address this need, we developed simple, user-friendly, multi-access keys for the two genera in Madagascar using the Lucid application. This new tool provides highly accurate identification of standing and felled trees to assist actors in the forestry, regulatory, and natural resource management sectors, including customs officials and law enforcement authorities as well as conservationists and protected area managers. In this paper, we focus on the development of the Diospyros identification tool. This interactive, electronic key employs 109 informative characters, including morphological features, emphasizing vegetative structures such as bark, stems, and leaves that are present even in the absence of flowers and fruits, in conjunction with eco-geographic characters (bioclimate, elevation, and geography). The key is supplemented with photos, illustrations, and a comprehensive glossary, to deliver accurate identification of the 88 Diospyros species that are large enough to be potential sources of commercially valuable ebony wood (≥ 20 cm DBH and/or ≥ 20 m height). This is the first use of Lucid to develop an identification key for species in Madagascar, paving the way for its application to other taxa for which practical electronic field identification is needed.

Astropanax is a monophyletic genus found in the Africa–Madagascar–Seychelles region whose evolutionary and biogeographic history, and that of related Araliaceae genera, are poorly known. In this paper, we report the presence of Astropanax leaves and pollen in Ethiopia 21.73 million years ago from the Mush Valley locality, which preserves leaf material with cuticles, fruits, seeds, woods, and less common biota including insects. Astropanax was part of a moist tropical forest community surrounding a volcanic crater lake and dominated by a single legume taxon (Englerodendron mulugetanum). Forty-nine leaf morphotypes have been documented at Mush and, along with Astropanax, identified taxa all have living relatives mainly confined to west, central, and east African forests. The plant genera found together at Mush include groups limited today to both lowlands (e.g. the swamp palm, Sclerosperma), and uplands (e.g. Hagenia). Astropanax species are most often found today in the uplands. Subsequent to the early Miocene, some genera present at Mush may have diverged into lineages that comprise the highland and lowland forest species known today. Araliaceae fossils are known from Paleogene localities primarily across the northern continents; the occurrence of Astropanax in the early Miocene of Ethiopia appears to represent the earliest definitive occurrence of Araliaceae on the African continent.

Large language models (LLMs) are rapidly reshaping scientific writing, reviewing, and publishing. Journals must respond in ways that safeguard trust while acknowledging the new realities resulting from these Artificial Intelligence-based technologies. This contribution details the position developed by the editors of Madagascar Conservation & Development on the use of LLMs in scholarly work and for publication in the journal. These tools can support authors by enhancing clarity, reducing language barriers, and structural inequities in global science, but recent editorial experience shows that the use of LLMs can generate errors and fabricated references, and formulate false claims that may escape traditional peer review. In volunteer-run journals, such failures impose substantial burdens on editors and reviewers. Our position is simple: LLMs may be used to support and enable authors but their results must never be trusted blindly. Authors remain fully responsible for ensuring the accuracy, originality, and validity of all content, regardless of the tools employed, and any use of LLMs must be disclosed transparently. Protecting scientific integrity remains a shared responsibility. Les grands modèles de langage, ou large language models (LLM), transforment rapidement l’écriture scientifique, l’évaluation par les pairs et les processus de publication. Les revues doivent y répondre de manière à préserver la confiance, tout en reconnaissant les nouvelles réalités induites par ces technologies fondées sur l’intelligence artificielle (IA). Cette contribution présente la position élaborée par les rédacteurs de Madagascar Conservation & Development concernant l’utilisation des LLM dans les travaux scientifiques et pour toute contribution soumise à la revue. L’IA peut aider les auteurs en améliorant la clarté des textes, en réduisant les barrières linguistiques et certaines inégalités structurelles au sein de la science mondiale. Cependant, notre expérience éditoriale récente montre que l’utilisation des LLM peut générer des erreurs, produire des références inexistantes et formuler des affirmations erronées susceptibles d’échapper à l’évaluation par les pairs traditionnelle. Dans les revues reposant exclusivement sur le bénévolat, de telles défaillances se traduisent par une surcharge substantielle de travail pour les rédacteurs et les évaluateurs. Notre position est simple : les LLM peuvent être utilisés pour aider et accompagner les auteurs, mais leurs résultats ne doivent jamais être acceptés sans vérification. Les auteurs demeurent en-tièrement responsables de l’exactitude, de l’originalité et de la validité de l’ensemble du contenu, quels que soient les outils employés, et toute utilisation de LLM doit être déclarée de manière transparente. La préservation de l’intégrité scientifique reste une responsabilité partagée.