Hyphaene guineensis Schumach. & Thonn. (Arecaceae), a new palm for the flora of Benin

Abstract

We report for the first time the occurence of Hyphaene guineensis Schumach. & Thonn. (Arecaceae) in the flora of Benin at Grand-Popo. We describe this species using stem, leaf, and fruit morphological traits from field observations, specialized keys, historical and modern herbarium vouchers. Demographic and phenological observations are also provided, and a key is proposed for differentiating H. guineensis from the other species of Hyphaene known from Benin. This work contributes to the knowledge of the geographical distribution, the ecology, and the conservation of H. guineensis in tropical Africa.