The Mascarene Islands or Mascarenes or Mascarenhas Archipelago is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar consisting of the islands belonging to the Republic of Mauritius as well as the French department of Réunion. Their name derives from the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas, who first visited them in April 1512. The islands share a common geologic origin in the volcanism of the Réunion hotspot beneath the Mascarene Plateau and form a distinct ecoregion with a unique flora and fauna.
Alopochen is a genus of the bird family Anatidae, part of the subfamily Tadorninae along with the shelducks. It contains one extant species, the Egyptian goose, and two or three species which became extinct in the last 1000 years or so. The Egyptian goose is native to mainland Africa, and the extinct species are from Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands.
Gentianaceae is a family of flowering plants of 103 genera and about 1600 species.
Olea is a genus of about 40 species in the family Oleaceae, native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Middle East, southern Europe, Africa, southern Asia, and Australasia. They are evergreen trees and shrubs, with small, opposite, entire leaves. The fruit is a drupe. Leaves of Olea contain trichosclereids.
Trochetia is a genus of flowering plants from the family Malvaceae. They are endemic to the Mascarene Islands.
Chionanthus, common name: fringetrees, is a genus of about 150 species of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae.
The Mauritian flying fox, also known as Greater Mascarene flying fox or Mauritius fruit bat is a large megabat species endemic to Mauritius and La Réunion.
Sideroxylon is a genus of trees in the family Sapotaceae described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753. They are collectively known as bully trees. The generic name is derived from the Greek words σιδηρος (sideros), meaning "iron", and ξύλον (xylon), meaning "wood."
The blue pigeons are a genus, Alectroenas, of birds in the dove and pigeon family Columbidae. They are native to islands in the western Indian Ocean.
The Mascarene martin or Mascarene swallow is a passerine bird in the swallow family that breeds in Madagascar and in the Mascarene Islands. The nominate subspecies occurs on Mauritius and Réunion and has never been found away from the Mascarene Islands, but the smaller Madagascan subspecies, P. b. madagascariensis, is migratory and has been recorded wintering in East Africa or wandering to other Indian Ocean islands.
Mimusops is a genus of plants in the family Sapotaceae described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753.
Pyrostria is a genus of dioecious flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Most of the species are endemic to Madagascar, others occur on islands in the western Indian Ocean, a few are found in continental Africa, and only six species occur in tropical Southeast Asia. The formerly recognized genus Leroya, containing two species endemic to Madagascar, L. madagascariensis and L. richardiae, was sunk into synonymy with Pyrostria.
Secamone is a genus of plant in family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1810. It is widespread across much of Africa, northern Australia, southern Asia, with numerous species endemic to Madagascar.
Jean Marie Bosser, sometimes listed as Jean-Michel Bosser was a French botanist and agricultural engineer who worked extensively in Madagascar and Mauritius.
Pentopetia is a plant genus in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1844.
Calyptranthera is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1996. The entire genus is endemic to Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.
Labourdonnaisia is a genus of plants in the family Sapotaceae found in tropical Asia, described as a genus in 1841.
Tachiadenus is a plant genus in the gentian family (Gentianaceae), tribe Exaceae. It contains 12 species. The genus is endemic to Madagascar.
Ornichia is a plant genus in the gentian family (Gentianaceae), tribe Exaceae. The genus is endemic to Madagascar.
Baroniella is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Apocynaceae.
