Hyperaccumulators (here defined as species containing at least 500 μg/g dryweight of either copper or cobalt in leaves), are
of interest for the fields of mineral exploration and phytochemistry. Reported hyperaccumulation of copper in
Aeolanthus biformifolius and the presence of two other species on copper/cobalt mineralization in Shaba (Zaïre) led to a survey of these elements
in 49 species of the African genus
Aeolanthus Mart.
A. biformifolius appears to be also a hyperaccumulator of Co (2520 μg/g in leaves, 4300 μg/g in corms). Cobalt levels for most species of
Aeolanthus were considerably above typical values for phanerogams and indicate the favorable potential of the genus for further study.