Rediscovery of a disappeared species after 105 years

Albuca zenkeri Engl. (Asparagaceae) was described by Engler in 1902 from the unique harvest carried out in Cameroon by G. Zenker in 1897.Besides this event, no other harvest is known. During the visit of an inselberg located in the immediate suburb of Yaounde, capital of Cameroon, this species was found. An article which takes stock of this rediscovery permits amongst other things a more detailed description of this species on press. In preparation, this article equally brings out the threats that weigh on Albuca zenkeri Engl. and suggests this taxon be placed under critically in danger of extinction. (Mars 2011; Mbamba 2012). 

Blooming of Albuca zenkeri on an inselberg at 1000m of altitude above the town forests of Yaounde

The only population found for this race of lithophytes are distributed in small dispersed colonies within a radius of 7m to 8m at the summit of a slope of domes of typically inselberg rocks. These fragile colonies, maintained on a very steep side are improbably threatened today by maize fields at about 10m and the scours of fires from farmers.

Taxonomy of Albuca zenkeri.

The genus Albuca refers to a group of Angiosperms or plants with monocotyledonous flowers belonging to the family of Asparagaceae (theplantlist.org 2012). Asparagaceae is a family of plants whose classification has highly advanced within the last decades (APG II 2003, APG III 2009). This classification does not exist in Cronquist’s (1981) classical classification who compares these plants to that of Liliaceae. The classification has therefore separated this family, Liliaceae and linked to the order of Asparagales