Cordia subcordata
Also known as the Kou, this coastal forest tree is a member of the Boraginaceae family and distributed widely across the Pacific into parts of the Indian Ocean and East Africa. It is typically seen at around 5-7 meters but can grow up to 15 meters tall. As a coastal form of vegetation around the Comoros forests, it favors full sunlight, sandy and clay soils and rocky limestone or lava headlands. It is important as a windbreak and for coastal protection and is a native to the Comoros islands. It originates in Hawaii, and spread easily among islands by early Polynesian settlers and other methods. The Kou has clusters of orange flowers, broad leaves, and fruits in egg-shaped balls that are woody when mature and fall off the tree as they ripen. It is listed as a least concern in terms of conservation status by the IUCN.
Cycas thouarsii
Cycas thouarsii is better known as the Madagascar Sago, a large and fast-growing Cycad that thrives in tropical climates. It is common in the open coastal forests around the Madagascar area and is likely endemic to the Comoros Islands, although there is some speculation that it may have been introduced to the islands by early Arab traders who introduced it to the Seychelles and Mauritius. It favors partial sun and moist well-drained soil, and is not adapted to cold temperatures or frost. It is one of the oldest Cycads, thought to have survived for 140 million years. It grows to about 8 feet tall with up to 10 foot long leaves that are bluish when they emerge but darken to a deeper green as they grow.It is listed as a least concern in terms of conservation status by the IUCN.
Ficus tiliifolia
The Ficus tiliifolia is an endemic tree to the Madagascar/Comoros Islands area that is frequently cultivated as a source of fiber and edible fruits. It lives in forests at higher elevations, found up to 1,700 meters above sea level. Growing up to 20 meters tall but usually about 15 meters tall, this fig tree has a unique form of fertilization in which it is dependent on one highly specialized species of wasp in order to breed. The tree produces a male flower, a long-styled female flower, and a short-styled female flower, all three containing a fruit structure. A female wasp enters the fig and lays eggs on the short styled female flower while pollinating the long styled female flower. Wingless male fig wasps then emerge, inseminating the emerging females and boring exit tunnels out of the fig for winged females, who emerge, collect pollen from male flowers, and fly off to search for more female flowers and restart the process. It is not considered applicable in terms of conservation status by the IUCN.
Sorindeia madagascariensis
Sorindeia madagascariensis is an evergreen shrub, or a tree with many branches from the family Anacardiaceae. These are mainly present in the lowlands areas of dry to humid tropics, but they can also be seen at elevations of up to 2,000 meters. The tree can grow up to 20 meters tall, and has a normally short bole. S. madagascaiensis has an edible fruit that is considered as a local delicacy in Madagascar and the Comoros. Bees are the usual pollinators for these species. Their fruits are often gathered from the wild for local consumption and are sold in markets.As of May 2016, there are no assessments made by the IUCN in response to the status of this species. These plants are endemic to the Madagascar hotspot that includes the islands in the Comoros.
Typhonodorum lindleyanum
The Typhonodorum lindleyanum or water banana is a native plant in the Comoros Islands. These particular perennial plant is from the family Araceae. This plant will most likely grow up to 1.5 to 2.5 meters tall, but in rare occasions can be up to 4 meters. The plant is harvested from the wild and is beneficial to local tribes from its medicinal properties. The T. lindleyanum is also known from one hazard it causes. All parts of this plant secretes an irritant in the form of a juice that will cause itchiness to a human’s body. These plants grow in the vicinity of muddy streams or in marshes and often found in fresh water swamps near the sea.The species is yet to be assessed by the IUCN.
Wielandia fadenii
The Wielandia fadenii is a small tree or shrub that ranges from 1.5-15 meters high. The species is from the family Phyllanthaceae, and it is native to the Comoros Island, specifically to the island of Mayotte. IUCN has yet to classify the species, but the Missouri Botanical Gardens classifies the plant as Near Threatened because of the deforestation happening where these plants are present. The distribution of this plant is extensive that includes three East African countries: Kenya, Madagascar, and the Comoros. The W. fadenii can grow from altitudes ranging from sea level up to 600 meters above. This plant can thrive in evergreen and seasonal forests.
Terminalia catappa
The Terminalia catappa also known as sea almond or tropical almond is a tree species in the family Combretaceae. This tree grows mainly in the wild in forests of Asia, Australia, and Africa. This tree is a hard, deciduous tree that can grow up to 25-40m tall. Its fruit is edible and some countries employ this plant species in agroforestry systems. T. catappa is considered to be an invasive plant species in various parts of the world such as Brazil, Puerto Rico, Barbados, and the United States mainly in Florida. This multipurpose tree has other various uses. The timber is used to craft house and boats, the bark and leaves are used for tanning leather and they provide a black dye used as ink, the oil from the seeds and leaves of T. catappa are used medicinally in treating abdominal inflammations, arthritis, scabies, and other skin diseases. This taxon has not been assessed by the IUCN due to its widespread distribution.
Calophyllum inophyllum
Inophyllum is a slow growing evergreen tree, in the family Calophyllaceae, that can reach up to 20m in height. The tree naturally grows in coastal regions and lowland forests, but has been cultivated in all tropical regions of the world due to its ability to tolerate a wide range of soils. Calophyllum inophyllum consists of four to fifteen flowers, and its fruit is round and green- the ballnut. It is native to many continents, including: Africa, south and southeast Asia, the southwestern and south central Pacific Region, and Australia. Its wood is used in construction or boatbuilding due to its strength, and the seeds provide a tamanu oil for medicinal use. Due to its wide distribution, the IUCN red list designates the species as “lower risk/ least concern”.
Rauvolfia media
Despite being poisonous, this tree is sometimes harvested for medicinal use in the pharmaceutical industry. Rauvolfia media possesses fragrant flowers with white and yellow corolla lobes. All parts of the 10-meter-tall tree are bitter and toxic, yet the bark of twigs may be crushed and applied to one’s eyes for treating viral conjunctivitis. Extracts of the plant have been known to poison pest animals. Additionally, the tree’s latex is used as an adhesive. Its native habitat is the dry forest or savannah and it prefers to grow in sandstone soils in the wild. Rauvolfia media is endemic to Africa, specifically western and southern Madagascar. It is not evaluated in the IUCN red list of threatened species, but the plant may soon become threatened due to high rates of deforestation in the area.
Lumnitzera racemosa
Lumnitzera racemosa is member of a large tropical woody family that is characterized by flowers. The flowers poses an inferior, uni-locular ovary with (usually) 2 pendelous ovules, a substantially developed floral disc and a one seeded drupe-like fruit without endosperm. It is distributed in the Indo-West Pacific mangrove genus that goes from East Africa to the Western Pacific. The English common name is black mangrove. The genus has two species of similar vegetative appearance, the species racemosa has white flowers. L. racemosa dominates in the western range and hybrids can occur in the overlap. The species is widespread and is labeled as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN. However the current population trend is decreasing and has seen a 19% decline since 1980. This species is sensitive to siltation from upstream, land use changes, and erosion. Sea level rise is also a major threat. In Africa it is often used to produce medium quality charcoal and fuel. There are no species specific conservation efforts but its range may overlap with marine and coastal protected areas.
Rhizophora mucronata
Rhizophora mucronata commonly known as root mangrove, red mangrove, or Asiatic mangrove is a species found on the river banks and coasts of the Indo-Pacific region. It is an evergreen tree whose tallest stalks, that are closest to the water, range from 20 to 25 meters, the shorter stalks range from 10 to 15 meters and are further inland. The leaves are elliptical and have elongated tips, with corky warts on the underside, the tips often break off. The flowers develop in axillary clusters on the twigs. On the clusters there is a hard calyx with four sepals and four hairy white petals. The seeds are viviparous which means that they start to develop whilst still attached to the mangrove. They are naturally found in estuaries, tidal creeks and flat coastal areas and susceptible to daily tidal flooding. It is a protected tree in South Africa and could also possibly overlap with marine protected areas. It is considered a species of least concern by the IUCN. The timber is used for firewood and in construction and the fruit can be cooked and eaten, the juice is often extracted to make wine, and even the young shoots can be eaten. Continued monitoring and research is recommended in order to secure that species is still able to thrive within these areas as it is still one of the top species exploited for charcoal in some parts of its range.
Sonneratia alba
The Sonneratia alba is a species of mangrove and it is considered as the most widespread mango in the world. Also known as Mangrove Apple, the Sonneratia alba is from the family Lythraceae. This mangrove can grow up to 15m. The species is widespread and distributed across the Comoros Islands, Madagascar, South East Asia, Australia, and Sri Lanka. The IUCN conservation classification for the species is Least Concern. However, the species number has dropped significantly at 20% since 1980. These mangroves are vital to ecosystems due to the wide variety of roles they provide. The Sonneratia alba provides refuge and sustenance to various flora and fauna, the act as natural water filter, and assist as stabilizer of coastal and river banks.
Erythrina variegata
Common names for this tree are coral tree and tiger claw. Tiger claw is a picturesque, broad and spreading, deciduous tree that can get 60-80 ft tall and spread 20-40 ft.The leaves are compound, with three diamond shaped leaflets, each about 6 in (15.2 cm) long. It is very drought and salt tolerant. he seeds of Erythrina variegata are reported to be poisonous if ingested. Tiger claw is a fast growing tree that does best in frost free climates with a pronounced winter dry season. It is native to tropical Asia, from Taiwan and southern China through the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, India, islands in the Indian Ocean and all the way to tropical east Africa. Erythrina variegata has a very large distribution in the tropics and has been introduced into a large number of countries through cultivation. This taxon is not considered to be threatened and is thus rated as Least Concern.
Euphorbia tirucalli
This is a dioecious, succulent, cactus-like milky tree, devoid of spines that grows up to 10 m tall. The branches are often arranged in pseudowhorls. The leaves are small, early deciduous, alternate, acute at tip and tapered to the sessile base. The many branches on this interesting tree are as thin as pencils and a reddish-golden color with small leaves that are inconspicuous and soon drop.The color tends to fade closer to yellow in the summer, and becomes redder in the winter and color is always best when grown in full sun.The species Euphorbia tirucalli is native to a wide range from Madagascar north through tropical and subtropical Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and India.Back in 1976, Melvin Calvin was quoted as saying the Euphorbia tirucalli might be capable of producing 10 and 50 barrels of oil per acre per year. Calculations by a Japanese firm, based on plantings in Okinawa, showed the possibility of producing 5–10 barrels of oil per acre per year. The species is present in all the tropical parts of the world and is LC in Madagascar, where is has a very large extent of occurrence (992,459 km2) and area of occupancy (192,483 km2). There are some threats, but these do not yet trigger a threatened status.
Ficus bojeri
Ficus bojeri is a fairly small fig tree with greyish-brown bark, slender branches and thin, oval-shaped green leaves. The leaves, which grow up to 20 centimetres long, have serrated edges and a sand paper-like feel. Like other figs, the tiny flowers of this plant are found on the inside of a round, green receptacle (the fig), which measures up to one centimetre in diameter. These ‘fruits’ hang from the trunk of the tree on short stalks up to one centimetre long. The Ficus bojeri can only be pollinated by the very tiny fig wasp. It is an endemic species to Seychelles, but also found in Madagascar and Comoro islands. Ficus bojeri has been assessed as being Vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN, but it is unclear what threats this little-known species currently faces. There are no known conservation measures currently in place for this species.
Strongylodon craveniae
The Strongylodon craveniae is a liana from the Fabaceae, and it is known to be endemic to the Madagascar hotspot. This liana is categorized as Least Concern by the IUCN. The S. craveniae can be found in humid and subhumid forests of the Comoros and the Madagascar hotspot. Formerly accepted as being endemic only to Madagascar, recent discoveries have shown the liana is also present in the Comoros. S. craveniae is pollinated by lemurs that feed on the liana’s flowers. The Strongylodon craveniae is distributed throughout the protected areas in the Madagascar hotspot, but the decrease in the Comoros’ and Madagascar’s forests cover over the last 50 years (40% decrease) threatens the species’ future. The few remaining humid and subhumid forests present in the hotspot are greatly fragmented and are usually encircled by anthropogenic grasslands are the other threats to the future of the Strongylodon craveniae.
Galactia tenuiflora
Galactia tenuiflora is a perennial twining or trailing vine that occurs in a vast range of habitats from temperate, swamp, to rainforest, mangroves, savannas, scrubs, and hillsides. Galactia tenuiflora has compound leaves with three leaflets. Purple flowers occur on this plant in the winter, particularly in January and February. The inflorescence or the grouping of flowers is auxiliary with one and two flowers between nodes. The pod is between 30-50mm in length and pale green or brown in color and the seeds are pale to dark brown with seven to nine per pod. The species is pantropical meaning it is found across the tropics in areas with high humidity such as Australia, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Thailand. Additionally the plant is a widespread species invasive in many areas and the population is believed to be stable at present. Currently, there are no known major threats to the species since it is indeed invasive in many areas.
Heritiera littoralis
Heritiera littoralis is a looking-glass mangrove tree with wing-shaped nuts. The plant is most easily recognized by the silvery scales on the underside of its leaves which appear green from above and white from below. It is a large tree that is found in mid and landward mangroves and it can tolerate brackish conditions but avoids hypersaline (salty) environments. Interestingly, the tree can form very impressive buttress roots and exists in groves as well as individually. The tree is usually found to grow in tropical areas with high humidity along the seashore of places like Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Christmas Island, Fiji, Guam, India, Japan, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Palau, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tonga, and Vanuatu. The species is widespread and common and although there is no specific species population information, it can be assumed that there are areas of population decline throughout its rage. Threats are primarily the result of extraction and coastal development and there has been an estimated 20% decline in mangrove area within this species range since 1980. Mangrove species like this one are at risk and their populations are likely to be contracting due to changes in climate and global warming.
Khaya madagascariensis
Khaya madagascariensis is an evergereen tree that inhabits rainforests, saltwater marshes, and riparian woodlands. The species is native to the Comoros and Madagascar. The species is endemic meaning it is found only within this region of the world with a range in the northwest part of the island and in eastward places on the mainland such Ambila, Manajary, and Vohémas. A valuable timber, the tree has been heavily exploited in the wild both locally for medicinal use and globally for trade in the world market. The tree is also harvested for a myriad of uses, therefore, it is sometimes grown in plantations that focus on exporting the raw materials and selling it as a primary product to be exchanged. Overexploited for its timber and with its habitat also damaged by human activity, the tree has become much rarer in the wild and has been recently classified as “endangered.” Some experiments have been carried out in using the method of reforestation in efforts to conserve and preserve the species within its native island habitat.
Dioscorea quartiniana
Dioscorea quartinana is a species within the Dioscoreaceae family, which is native throughout the tropics and warm temperate regions of the world. The majority of this species are tropical, with only a few existing in the temperate climates. The leaves are spirally arranged, and mostly broad heart-shaped. This hairy plant is an herbaceous perennial climbing plant with stems that could grow up to 6 meters long from a tuberous root stock. The stems are made of thinned twine that grows towards the left, invading the space of nearby plants for support. The tubers of this plant are harvested by the locals from the wild and used as a food source; commonly known as famine food. Its use as a food source has led to many African Americans occasionally cultivating the tubers as a food crop in parts of east Africa. Once they are cultivated, they are then sold in local markets as a food that is quite popular. Being an extremely versatile species, it is used not only for food but also as a decorative material. Despite its usefulness, the fruits and roots of this plant are reported to be poisonous if not treated. The habitat of this plant can vary from openings in upland and lowland rain forests to grasslands and hillsides with elevations ranging from 100-2,300 meters.
Cananga odorata
A large evergreen tropical tree from the family Annonaceae used purposely for the production of essential oils. Ylang Ylang can grow up to 100ft(30.5m). The tree has drooping branches and yellow, long-petaled flowers. The smell emitted from the tree can be smelled from a distance of up to 30ft (9m) or more.Ylang Ylang originated in Indonesia and is widely distributed in Madagascar, Comoros, the Philippines, and the Polynesian islands. Ylang Ylang oil is widely used in perfumes and most famously by Coco Chanel. The Cananga odorata also has medicinal benefits. According to popular belief in India, the leaves of C. odorata is believed to relieve itchiness and is also said to treat dandruff, asthma, and malaria. In Indonesia, ylang ylang oil is believed to enhance the feeling of euphoria during sex and can also reduce sexual anxiety.
Ficus lutea
Ficus lutea, also know as the giant-leaf fig, is a deciduous tree this is a member of of the Moraceae family. The tree is known to grow up to 25m in height and spread 30m to 45m in width. When fully mature it has large buttress roots and giant fig leaves. The Ficus lutea species is well distributed in South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, West Africa, Madagascar, the Comoros, and Seychelles. The species is found around sea level to 1,800m above sea level and does well in warm, moist, and frost free conditions. The Ficus lutea is a non-endemic species and has not been accessed in the IUCN red list.
Ficus pachyclada subsp. pachyclada
Ficus pachyclada subsp. pachyclada is branched shrub that is a member of the Moraceae family. Its distributed is found to be in Madagascar from the east to south and located at sea level to a 1,300 m altitude beside rivers, along the coast or inundated areas. The Ficus pachyclada subsp. pachyclada is known to grow 30m producing hairy lanceolate leaves and a yellow/orange/brown fruit. The Ficus pachyclada subsp. pachyclada is an endemic species but according to the IUNC red list it has not been assessed.
Avicennia marina
Avicennia marina is also known as the Gray Mangrove. It a shrub that belongs to the Avicenniaceae family. They grow up to anywhere between two to five meters in height and has thick leaves that grow from five to eight centimeters long. This species is found from downstream to intermediate estuarine zones in all intertidal regions such as river mouths and other lower tidal areas. The Species can be found in East Africa, the Middle East, Australia, south Asia, and even Guam. The plant is used as food, fodder, fuelwood, materials for construction and medicine. Such medicinal uses include the wood being used for snakebites, along with the fruits and leaves being used to treat wounds and skin ailments. According the IUCN Red List the Avicennia marina is not threatened and ranked under “least concern”.
Barringtonia asiatica
Also known as the “Sea Poison Tree” is a large tree that belongs to the Lethycidaceae family. It’s a large tree that grows up to 25 meters tall with narrow obovate leaves that grow 20-40cm in length. It also has lantern shaped fruit that are about 9cm in length and are green until they ripen turning brown. Barringtonia Asiatica is native to Asia and the Pacific islands. The plant has several medicinal uses such as the leaving being heated and used to cure stomach aches and the seeds are used to get rid of intestinal worms. One indigenous practice is the mashing of seeds and other parts of the plant to be used as a way to stun fish in freshwater streams. According to the IUNC Red List the Barringtonia asiatica regarded as “least concern” and is not very threatened.
The Comoros Islands 