Academy Research

The Madagascar Biodiversity Center is located in the central region on the island of Madagascar, in the town of Antananarivo.  The Botany Department at the California Academy of Sciences, along with the Entomology Department, have collection holdings at the Madgascar Biodiveristy Center.

Botany staff from the California Academy of Sciences had a successful visit to the Madagascar Biodiversity Center and collected many specimens from Madagascar that they are now processing.  Their expedition took place from Sept. 30 to October 10, 2010. 

The California Academy of Sciences Herbarium at the Madagascar Biodiveristy Center contains about 3000 specimens and more than 100 samples in silica gel from Madagascar. 

Recent discoveries from the herbarium at the Madagascar Biodiversity Center include Aloes and Xerophyta as well as rediscovered species of Memecylon crassinerve,an isoptype discovered by M. Perville 774 in 1841.

The Madagascar Biodiversity Center is currently collecting voucher specimens for DNA extraction.  They are collecting rousseauxia tamatavensis and many others.

This is an image of rousseauxia tamatavensis 

The Botanical Coordinator at MBC is responsible for coordinating and collaborating with different institutions within Madagascar and around the world to ensure the continuation of botanical research in Madagascar. 

Here is a list of some of the business items and agencies the staff at MBC works with:

Accord de siege

Collaboration contracts

Herbarium TAN, TEF

MNP, Forest Dept

University of Antananarivo

Research permits every 6 months

Herbaria exportation permits for San Francisco

One of two electric dryers in the Botany department at MBC

Collecting specimens in the field includes camping and visiting biodiversity hotspots within Madagascar.

Camp in Loholoka Manakara

Databasing specimens is another activity that occurs at MBC