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Taxonomic, geographical and temporal coverage of Rubiaceae specimens at DSM herbarium, University of Dar es Salaam

Citation

Mvungi E, Gideon H, Mbago F, Bernard C, Mohammed A, Mgalla H, Michael E, Kalugasha J, Milanzo A, Mohamed A (2021). Taxonomic, geographical and temporal coverage of Rubiaceae specimens at DSM herbarium, University of Dar es Salaam. Version 1.6. TanBIF. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/mhc6xk accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-07-17.

Description

Tanzania is one of the mega-biodiversity rich countries globally. The country located in the tropical region of African and favourable climatic condition supports high biodiversity. It has extensive species diversity with at least 14,500 known species (7,714 plants) and is among 15 countries globally with the highest number of endemic and threatened species. University of Dar es salaam Herbarium (DSM) is in the Dar es Salaam region, Tanzania, and it holds collections of preserved plants and Chromista specimens collected since February 1928. The Herbarium continues with the collection of samples of biota for research and teaching.

This dataset comprises 3500 occurrence records of specimens of the Rubiaceae family preserved at the University of Dar es Salaam Herbarium. The family Rubiaceae consists of about 13,500 species in about 620 genera of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs, making it the fourth-largest angiosperm globally. The dataset covers essential biodiversity information, including taxonomic, geographic, temporal coverage of 352 species in 39 genera collected from different parts of Tanzania from February 1928 to November 2020. Coffea is one of the genera included in this dataset. The genus is valuable for its commercial value products traded commodity used in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries due to its caffeine and high polyphenol content. The dataset provides IUCN red list information of the assessed species for research and conservation management. The dataset consists of fifty threatened, three hundred thirty-four near threatened, 85 least concern and 33 species have Data Deficiency.

Information in this dataset was drawn from the herbarium sheet labels and transformed into Darwin Core Standard. Darwin Core quick reference guide aided the development of an Excel sheet of 63 columns and 3004 rows for data digitisation. Each row contains information on a particular Rubiaceae preserved specimen. The information about the data publisher, institution code, herbarium code and Catalogue number used in developing the occurrence. The GEOLocate Web-Based Clients used to translate textual locality into geographic coordinates. GBIF species matching, GBIF validator and Darwin Core Archive Assistant tools aided the mapping and validation of the dataset. Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT) enabled open access of the dataset on preserved specimens occurrence records in the Department of Botany, the University of Dar Es Salaam, formerly locked.

Taxonomic Coverages

The University of Dar Es Salaam Herbarium harbours specimens of almost all the families existing in the United Republic of Tanzania. In this endeavour, the department is opening access to the Rubiaceae family with expectations of unlocking access to other families for supporting research and other conservation efforts. The dataset consists of specimens records of 352 species in 39 genera collected from different parts of the country from 1875 up to 2020. Dynamic properties of the species included in the datasets cover all the IUCN Red List categories. There are two critically endangered species, Coffea kihansiensis and Coffea kimbozensis from Morogoro and Iringa, Engendered (7) and Vulnerable (26). About 18 species have Data Deficiency that calls for more data collection to enhance the Red List assessment of the species. Furthermore, the dataset contains Cinchona officinalis, a medicinal plant used to produce quinine, which is an anti-fever agent, especially useful in the prevention and treatment of malaria.
  1. Rubiaceae
    rank: family

Geographic Coverages

The Rubiaceae data records unlocked here lies within 947,303 square kilometres in the United Republic of Tanzania. The country is one of the East African countries within the African Great Lakes (Lake Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa) region. It incorporates several offshore islands, including Unguja, Pemba, and Mafia in the Indian Ocean and inland lakes (Natron, Eyasi, Manyara, and Rukwa). Situated in a tropical area with a wide topographic range, Tanzania has favourable climatic conditions that support high biodiversity. The dataset consists of specimens records collected from the biodiversity hotspot of the Eastern Arc Mountains (Udzungwa, East and West Usambara Usambara, Uluguru, Pare, North and South Pare Mountains, Nguru, Ukaguru, Uvidunda, Rubeho, Malundwe and Mahenge Mountains). Also, there are collections from the slopes of the highest mountain in Africa, the Mountain Kilimanjaro. Preserved specimens from 1970 to 1987 from Jozani Forest Reserve, Zanzibar, are included in this dataset.

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Esther Mvungi
originator
position: Head of the Department
Department of Botany, University of Dar Es Salaam
P.O.BOX 35060, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar Es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
TZ
email: emvungi@udsm.ac.tz
homepage: http://www.udsm.ac.tz
Hulda Gideon
originator
position: Senior Research Officer
Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology
P.O Box 4302, Dar Es salaam
Dar Es Salaam
Dar Es Salaam
TZ
email: hgideon@hotmail.com
homepage: http://www.costech.or.tz
Frank Mbago
originator
position: Curator
University of Dar Es Salaam
P.O.BOX 35091, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar Es Salaam
TZ
email: mbagomgalla@gmail.com
homepage: http://www.udsm.ac.tz
Clean Bernard
originator
position: Early Carrier Researcher
University of Dar Es Salaam
P.O.BOX 35091, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
TZ
email: cleanchrisant95@gmail.com
Ally Mohammed
originator
University of Dar Es Salaam
P.O.BOX 35060, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
email: allyallym25@gmail.com
Happiness Mgalla
originator
position: Early Carrier Researcher
University of Dar Es Salaam
P.O.BOX 35091, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar Es Salaam
TZ
email: happymgadala2@gmail.com
Enitha Michael
originator
position: Early Carrier Researcher
University of Dar Es salaam
P.O.BOX 35091, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar Es salaam
TZ
email: enithaeliasmichael@gmail.com
Josephat Kalugasha
originator
University of Dar Es Salaam
P.O.BOX 35091, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar Es Salaam
Dar Es Salaam
TZ
email: klgsh@yahoo.co.uk
homepage: http://www.udsm.ac.tz
Andrew Milanzo
originator
position: Early Carrier Researcher
University of Dar Es Salaam
P.O.BOX 35091, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar Es Salaam
TZ
Esther Mvungi
metadata author
position: Head of the Department
University of Dar es Salaam
P.O.BOX 35060, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar Es Salaam
email: emvungi@udsm.ac.tz
Hulda Gideon
metadata author
position: Senior Research Officer
Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology
P.O Box 4302, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar Es Salaam
email: hgideon@hotmail.com
homepage: http://www.costech.or.tz
Clean Bernard
metadata author
position: Young Carrier Researcher
University of Dar Es Salaam
P.O.BOX 35060, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar Es Salaam
Dar Es Salaam
email: cleanchrisant95@gmail.com
Ally Mohamed
metadata author
position: Young Carrier Researcher
University of Dar Es Salaam
P.O.BOX 35060, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar Es Salaam
Dar Es Salaam
TZ
email: allyallym25@gmail.com
Esther Mvungi
author
position: Head of the Department
Department of Botany, University of Dar Es Salaam
P.O. Box 35091, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Dar Es Salaam
Dar Es Salaam
TZ
email: emvungi@udsm.ac.tz
Hulda Gideon
administrative point of contact
position: Senior Research Officer
Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology
email: hgideon@hotmail.com
homepage: http://www.costech.or.tz
Esther Mvungi
administrative point of contact
position: Head of the Department
Department of Botany, University of Dar es Salaam
P.O. Box 35060, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Dae Es Salaam
Dar Es Salaam
TZ
email: emvungi@udsm.ac.tz
homepage: http://www.udsm.ac.tz
Hulda Gideon
administrative point of contact
position: Senior Research Officer
Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology
P.O Box 4302, Dar Es Salaam
Dar Es Salaam
Dar Es Salaam
TZ
email: hgideon@hotmail.com
homepage: http://www.costech.or.tz
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