Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42416174›Full record

ArticlePhytoKeys2026

A checklist of the vascular plants of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Pierre Meerts, Petra Ballings, Patricia Barberá, Kenneth Bauters, Henk Beentje, Martin Cheek, Thomas L P Couvreur, Theo H J Damen, Rafael Felipe de Almeida, Petra De Block and 33 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PhytoKeys, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

43 authors.

Pierre MeertsMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4215-027X
Petra BallingsMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.
Patricia BarberáMissouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis, MO, 63110-2291 USA Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain https://ror.org/01cby8j38.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4110-8419
Kenneth BautersGhent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels Belgium https://ror.org/01r9htc13.
Henk BeentjeRoyal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, London, United Kingdom Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Edinburgh United Kingdom https://ror.org/0349vqz63.
Martin CheekRoyal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, London, United Kingdom Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Edinburgh United Kingdom https://ror.org/0349vqz63.
Thomas L P CouvreurDIADE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, Montpellier, France Herbarium MA, Real Jardín Botánico-CSIC Madrid Spain https://ror.org/03ezemd27.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8509-6587
Theo H J DamenWageningen, Netherlands University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa https://ror.org/03rp50x72.
Rafael Felipe de AlmeidaUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2092, South Africa Institut de Systématique, Évolution, et Biodiversité (ISYEB), Unité Mixte de Recherche 7205, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE-PSL, Université des Antilles Paris France https://ror.org/03wkt5x30.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9562-9287
Petra De BlockMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7210-7868
Manuel de la EstrellaUniversidad de Córdoba, Av. Medina Azahara 5, 14015 Córdoba, Spain Institut für Integrierte Naturwissenschaften-Biologie, Universität Koblenz Koblenz Germany https://ror.org/0433e6t24.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4484-3566
Steven DesseinMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3179-4005
Henry EngledowMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0779-8006
Eberhard FischerInstitut für Integrierte Naturwissenschaften-Biologie, Universität Koblenz, Universitätsstraße 1, 56070 Koblenz, Germany Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland https://ror.org/04g6bbq64.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7455-9833
Laurent GautierJardin Botanique de Genève, ch. de l'Impératrice 1, C.P. 71, 1292 Chambésy, Switzerland Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles Brussels Belgium https://ror.org/04q01pf08.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4157-3713
Anna HaighRoyal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, London, United Kingdom Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Edinburgh United Kingdom https://ror.org/0349vqz63.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3435-3501
David J HarrisRoyal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, United Kingdom University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa https://ror.org/04qzfn040.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6801-2484
Wilbert HetterscheidInstitut de Systématique, Évolution, et Biodiversité (ISYEB), Unité Mixte de Recherche 7205, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE-PSL, Université des Antilles, CP 39, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75005 Paris, France Missouri Botanical Garden Saint Louis United States of America https://ror.org/04tzy5g14.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7839-4201
Carel C H JongkindMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1491-2030
Olivier LachenaudMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8972-4096
Isabel LarridonGhent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels Belgium https://ror.org/01r9htc13.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0285-722X
Alexandra LeyMartin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Universitätsplatz 2, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany DIADE, Univ Montpellier Montpellier France https://ror.org/051escj72.
Olivier MaurinMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4151-6164
Simon J MayoRoyal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, London, United Kingdom Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Edinburgh United Kingdom https://ror.org/0349vqz63.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1969-4984
Pélagie Mbandu LuzolawoInstitut Supérieur Pédagogique de la Gombe, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Botany Section Leiden Netherlands https://ror.org/0566bfb96.
Chanelle Moafo TchioffoMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.
Jeremie MorelRoyal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, London, United Kingdom Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Edinburgh United Kingdom https://ror.org/0349vqz63.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7969-2609
Ithe Mwanga MwangaCentre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles, Lwiro, Sud-Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Halle Germany https://ror.org/05gqaka33.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0203-5795
Marco O O PellegriniUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2092, South Africa Institut de Systématique, Évolution, et Biodiversité (ISYEB), Unité Mixte de Recherche 7205, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE-PSL, Université des Antilles Paris France https://ror.org/03wkt5x30.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8783-1362
Alejandro QuintanarHerbarium MA, Real Jardín Botánico-CSIC, Plaza de Murillo, 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain Universidad de Córdoba Córdoba Spain https://ror.org/05yc77b46.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7618-3112
Marc ReyndersMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1581-6048
Elmar RobbrechtMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3811-595X
Butoto Imani Wa RusaatiSangju City, Republic of Korea Unaffiliated Wageningen Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8092-8682
Ana R G SimõesMissouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis, MO, 63110-2291 USA Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain https://ror.org/01cby8j38.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7267-8353
Marc S M SosefMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6997-5813
Tariq StévartMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6212-0361
Robert D StoneUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de la Gombe Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2752-7788
Alexander P SukhorukovLomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye Gory, Moscow 119991, Russia Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles Lwiro Democratic Republic of the Congo.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2220-826X
Ton van der ZonNaturalis Biodiversity Centre, Botany Section, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, Netherlands Jardin Botanique de Genève Chambésy Switzerland https://ror.org/03j12z232.
Brecht VerstraeteMeise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, 1860 Meise, Belgium Ghent University Gent Belgium https://ror.org/00cv9y106.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9332-7798
Justyna Wiland-SzymańskaAdam Mickiewicz University, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland Unaffiliated Sangju City Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1916-7201
Martin XanthosRoyal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, London, United Kingdom Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Edinburgh United Kingdom https://ror.org/0349vqz63.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5378-8757
Fernando ZuloagaDarwinion Institute of Botany, Labarden 200, 1642, San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina Darwinion Institute of Botany Buenos Aires Argentina.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2794-539X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A checklist of the vascular flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been assembled, based on literature, online databases, and herbarium collections. It includes 10,260 species (38 lycophytes, 347 monilophytes, 16 gymnosperms, and 9,859 angiosperms), belonging to 246 families. The five largest families are Fabaceae (11.8% of specific richness), followed by Rubiaceae (6.7%), Asteraceae (6.6%), Poaceae (6.1%), and Orchidaceae (5.6%). Strict endemics of the DRC amount to 1,099 species, i.e., 10.7%. Families represented by > 120 species and comprising a high proportion of endemics include Commelinaceae (endemism rate: 24%), Euphorbiaceae (21%), Asteraceae (16%), and Fabaceae (16%). A total of 461 introduced species are recorded outside cultivation in the country, i.e., 4.5% of the total flora. Solanaceae, Brassicaceae, and Amaranthaceae stand out with their higher-than-average proportions of introduced species. Herbs represent the most frequent life form (54%), followed by (sub)shrubs (17%), trees (14.5%), climbers (10%), and epiphytes (4%). The IUCN conservation status was retrieved for 2,633 species (25.7%), of which two species are extinct and 448 (17%) are assigned to a threat category (CR [Critically Endangered]: 36; EN [Endangered]: 184; VU [Vulnerable]: 228). IUCN status was retrieved for 184 (17%) of the endemic species, of which 135 (73%) are considered extinct or threatened.

Indexed as

Biodiversity conservationbotanical collectionsCentral Africaendemicherbarium specimens

Identifiers

PMID42416174
PMCPMC13338719

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