DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2020.v08i10.006

Pages: 338-343

Four hundred and forty-eight (448) species have been recorded in Irobo forest (Ivory Coast) during field investigations, distributed among 301 genera and 92 families. Among those species, 387 (86.38%), 20 (4.46%) and 18 (4.02%) are phanerophytes, geophytes and hemicryptophytes, respectively. Most species bear small, fleshy fruits that are dispersed by animals, either by endozoochory (262 species = 62.68%) or by epizoochory (29 species = 6.94%). A significant amount of species (111 = 26.56%) exhibits fruits with appendices facilitating their wind-dispersion. Phytochory analysis shows relevant proportion of endemic Guineo-Congolian species (265 species = 59.15%) compared to widespread species. 32 species (7.14%) are Guineo-Congolian species that are endemic from West Africa, among which only two are endemics from Ivory Coast. Those proportions indicate that the forest under study is included in rainforest sensu Guillaumet & Adjanohoun, and match with the endemism Guineo-Congolian zone defined by White. Unfortunately, this forest is gradual degradation due to peasants’ infiltrations.