Zingiberaceae
Aframomum

Aframomum melegueta K.Schum.

First published in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 46: 204 (1904)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Tropical Africa to Angola. It is a rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Distribution

Native to:

Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea Is., Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo

Introduced into:

French Guiana, Guyana, Trinidad-Tobago, Windward Is.

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

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Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

  • Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.
  • Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
  • Brunel, J.F., Hiepo, P. & Scholz, H. (eds.) (1984). Flore Analytique du Togo Phanérogames: 1-751. GTZ, Eschborn.
  • Catarino, L., Sampaio Martins, E., Pinto-Basto, M.F. & Diniz, M.A. (2006). Plantas Vasculares e Briófitos da Guiné-Bissau: 1-298. Instituto de investigação científica tropical, Instituto Português de apoio ao desenvolvimento.
  • Gosline, G., Bidault, E., van der Burgt, X., Cahen, D., Challen, G., Condé, N., Couch, C., Couvreur, T.L.P., Dagallier, L.M.J., Darbyshire, I., Dawson, S., Doré, T.S., Goyder, D., Grall, A., Haba, P., Haba, P., Harris, D., Hind, D.J.N., Jongkind, & al. (2023). A Taxonomically-verified and Vouchered Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Republic of Guinea. Nature, scientific data 10, Article number: 327: [1]-[12].
  • Harris, D.J. & Wortley, A.H. (2018). Monograph of Aframomum (Zingiberaceae). Systematic Botany Monographs 104: 1-204.
  • Jones, M. (1991). A checklist of Gambian plants: 1-33. Michael Jones, The Gambia College.
  • Lejoy, J., Ndjele, M.-B. & Geerinck, D. (2010). Catalogue-flore des plantes vasculaires des districts de Kisangani et de la Tshopo (RD Congo). Taxonomania. Revue de Taxonomie et de Nomenclature Botaniques 30: 1-307.
  • Sosef, M.S.M. & al. (2006). Check-list des plantes vasculaires du Gabon. Scripta Botanica Belgica 35: 1-438.
  • Velayos, M., Aedo, C., Cabezas, F., de la Estrella, M., Barberá, P. & Fero, M. (eds.) (2014). Flora de Guinea Ecuatorial 11: 1-416. Consejo superior de investigaciones científicas, Real jardín botánico, Madrid.

An alternative taxonomy had been proposed by the following authorities:

  • Govaerts, R. (1995). World Checklist of Seed Plants 1(1, 2): 1-483, 1-529. MIM, Deurne. [Cited as Aframomum grana-paradisi.]

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • Hepper in Kew Bull. 21: 130, t. 7 (1967)
  • Koechlin in Fl. Cam. 4: 68, t. 14.
  • Koechlin in Fl. Gabon 9: 58, t. 12
  • in Engl., Pflanzenr. 4, 46, Zingib.: 204 (1904)

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Akoègninou, A., van der Burg, W.J. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (eds.) (2006). Flore Analytique du Bénin: 1-1034. Backhuys Publishers.
  • Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
  • Brunel, J.F., Hiepo, P. & Scholz, H. (eds.) (1984). Flore Analytique du Togo Phanérogames: 1-751. GTZ, Eschborn.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Harris, D.J. & Wortley, A.H. (2018). Monograph of Aframomum (Zingiberaceae). Systematic Botany Monographs 104: 1-204.
  • Jones, M. (1991). A checklist of Gambian plants: 1-33. Michael Jones, The Gambia College.
  • Velayos, M., Aedo, C., Cabezas, F., de la Estrella, M., Barberá, P. & Fero, M. (eds.) (2014). Flora de Guinea Ecuatorial 11: 1-416. Consejo superior de investigaciones científicas, Real jardín botánico, Madrid.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Hepper in Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 3: 76 (1968).
  • Hepper in Kew Bulletin 21: 130, t. 7 (1967)
  • K. Schum. in A. Engler, Das Pflanzenreich IV. 46: 204 (1904).

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Mann, G. [1054B] Sao Tome and Principe K002671145 Yes
s.coll. [9338] Sierra Leone K002670798 Yes
K:SPC-66315.000 No
s.coll. [9323] Sierra Leone K002670792 Yes
Tessmann, G. [272] Equatorial Guinea K002671146 Yes
Adames, P. [838] Liberia K002670801 Yes
Mann, G. [1054 A] Sao Tome and Principe K002671141 Yes
Cheek, M [7904] Cameroon K001422619 Yes
Lewalle, J. [2597] Burundi K002671140 Yes
Adam, J.G. [21105] Liberia K002670802 Yes
Lock, J.M. [GC 46739] Ghana K002670803 Yes
Chapman, J.D. [4265] Nigeria K002670807 Yes
K:SPC-80250.000 No
s.coll. [FHI 56543] K002670814 Yes
Lock [GC 42895] Ghana K002670805 Yes
K:SPC-70000.520 No
s.coll. [8908] Angola K002671719 Yes
Afzelius, A. [s.n.] Sierra Leone K002670797 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] Sao Tome and Principe K002671143 Yes
Mann, G. K:SPC-32147.000 No
Afzelius, A. [s.n.] Sierra Leone K002670795 Yes
K:SPC-70000.529 No
Pereira Guyana K:SPC-32365.000 No
s.coll. [2049] Ghana K002670804 Yes
Afzelius, A. [s.n.] Sierra Leone K002670796 Yes
Chevalier, A.J.B. [23418] K002670808 Yes
Thomas, N.W. [845] Liberia K002670810 Yes
Westphal, E.; Westphal-Stevels, J.M.C. [10135] Cameroon K002671147 Yes
Chandler, P. [2765] Uganda K002671501 Yes
Mann, G. [1054 A] Sao Tome and Principe K002671142 Yes
Dudgeon, G.C. [37] Sierra Leone K002670794 Yes
Deighton, F.C. [5014] Sierra Leone K002670789 Yes
[A. Melegellz] [s.n.] Nigeria K002670811 Yes
K:SPC-70000.434 No
s.coll. [3] K002670812 Yes
Guyana K:SPC-70000.465 No
Chandler, P. [2765] Uganda K002671502 Yes
K:SPC-70000.411 No
[Doc] [s.n.] K002670813 Yes
Mann, G. [1054A] Sao Tome and Principe K002671144 Yes
Deighton, F.C. [4144] Sierra Leone K002670793 Yes
Adam, J.G. [21105] Liberia K002670800 Yes
K:SPC-66326.000 No
s.coll. [38] Nigeria K002670806 Yes
Adam, J.G. [20448] Liberia K002670799 Yes
[N. W. I] [2318] Nigeria K002670815 Yes
Guyana K:SPC-70000.479 No
Liberia K:SPC-66299.000 No
Holland, J.H. [254] Nigeria K002670809 Yes
s.coll. [[10A]] Sierra Leone K002670791 Yes
Scott Elliot, G.F. [s.n.] Sierra Leone K002670790 Yes
Pobeguin, M. [319] Guinea K002670788 Yes
Etuge, M. [1511] Cameroon K001422620 Yes
Etuge, M. [1511] Cameroon K000108484 Yes
Klaine, R.P. [3557] Gabon K002671148 Yes

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Kew's Living Collection Database

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images