Comparing Apples and Pears: The Hidden Diversity of Central African Bush Mangoes (Irvingiaceae). The fruits of Irvingiaceae trees, commonly known as “bush mangoes” or “mangues sauvages,” are crucial foods for Central African human populations, as well as local wildlife. Irvingiaceae oil-rich kernels play an important role in local diet, well-being, and livelihood. When collected for sale, they enter the international market of non-timber forest products (NTFPs), which represents a considerable source of income for central African countries. Despite the importance of bush mangoes, there is a general lack of precision in the literature on the exact species of Irvingiaceae present in local diets and NTFP markets. Few botanical studies include local names and uses of the different Irvingiaceae species, while ethnographical and social studies rarely corroborate their identifications by collecting vouchers. In this study, we combined ethnographic research and botanical collection to verify which Irvingiaceae species were consumed and collected for trade by the Baka, a group of forager-horticulturalists in southeastern Cameroon. We provide evidence of the floristic diversity hidden behind the term “bush mangoes”, as well as the knowledge and uses of Irvingiaceae fruits by the Baka. We discuss the importance of eight Irvingiaceae species for Baka livelihood as well as the potential threats regarding the future of these valuable trees.

比较苹果和梨：中非布什芒果（欧文科）的隐藏多样性。Irvingiaceae树的果实，通常被称为“灌木芒果”或“ mangues菜”，是中非人口以及当地野生生物的重要食物。Irvingiaceae富含油的籽粒在当地饮食，福祉和生计中起着重要作用。当被收集出售时，它们进入非木材林产品的国际市场，这对于中非国家而言是可观的收入来源。尽管丛林芒果很重要，但文献中普遍缺乏关于当地饮食和NTFP市场中欧文菌科确切种类的文献。很少有植物学研究包括欧文菊科不同物种的当地名称和用途，而人种学和社会学研究则很少通过收集优惠券来证实其身份。在这个研究中，我们将人种学研究与植物学收集相结合，以验证喀麦隆东南部的一批园艺专家Baka消费了哪些Irvingiaceae物种并进行了贸易采集。我们提供了“灌木芒果”一词背后隐藏的植物多样性的证据，以及巴卡（Baka）对欧文花科水果的了解和使用。我们讨论了八种欧文植物科物种对巴卡（Baka）生计的重要性以及这些珍贵树木的未来潜在威胁。以及Baka对Irvingiaceae水果的了解和使用。我们讨论八种欧文植物科对巴卡（Baka）生计的重要性，以及这些珍贵树木的未来潜在威胁。以及Baka对Irvingiaceae水果的了解和使用。我们讨论八种欧文植物科对巴卡（Baka）生计的重要性，以及这些珍贵树木的未来潜在威胁。