Seychellea

Seychellea sechellarum is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is a shrub endemic to the Seychelles. It is the sole species in genus Seychellea.^[2]

Seychellea
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Rubiaceae
Subfamily:	Rubioideae
Tribe:	Seychelleeae
Genus:	Seychellea Razafim., Kainul. & Rydin (2019)
Species:	S. sechellarum
Binomial name
Seychellea sechellarum (Baker) Razafim., Kainul. & Rydin (2019)
Synonyms[2]
Nonatelia sechellarum (Baker) Kuntze (1891) Psathura sechellarum Baker (1877) Psychotria sechellarum (Baker) Summerh. (1928)

The species is endemic to the islands of Mahé and Silhouette, two of the Granitic Seychelles. It is an understory shrub or small tree which grows in humid montane forest from 500 to 830 meters elevation.^[1]

The wild population is small in number and range. Fewer than 50 mature individuals are known from Mahé, and only one mature individual from Silhouette. The estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) on Mahé is 13 km², and the EOO on Silhouette has not been determined. The plant was reported as common in Mahé's humid montane forests in the late 19th century, but has declined in both range and population since. No reproduction of the plant has been observed in the wild, and only one young specimen is known from Mahé. The species is assessed as Critically Endangered.^[1]

The species was first named Psathura sechellarum in 1877. It was renamed Seychellea sechellarum in 2019, and placed in its own genus.^[2] The genus is the sole member of tribe Seychelleeae, which is most closely related to tribe Colletoecemateae containing the central African genus Colletoecema.^[3]

References

1. Ismail, S.; Huber, M.J.; Mougal, J. (2011). "Psathura sechellarum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T191541A8843195. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T191541A8843195.en. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
2. "Seychellea sechellarum (Baker) Razafim., Kainul. & Rydin". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
3. Razafimandimbison, Sylvain G.; Kainulainen, Kent; Senterre, Bruno; Morel, Charles; Rydin, Catarina (2020). "Phylogenetic affinity of an enigmatic Rubiaceae from the Seychelles revealing a recent biogeographic link with Central Africa: gen. nov. Seychellea and trib. nov. Seychelleeae". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 143: 106685. Bibcode:2020MolPE.14306685R. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106685. PMID 31734453. S2CID 208142023.