Aquatic plants have great influence on the structure and dynamics of aquatic ecosystems, thereby contributing considerably to biodiversity. In Brazil, knowledge of the biodiversity of aquatic macroflora is still limited. We present a checklist of aquatic macrophytes occurring in the northeastern region of Brazil through a bibliographic search. We recorded a total of 412 species, 217 genera and 72 families. The most representative families were Cyperaceae (70 species), Poaceae (38), Fabaceae (27) and Asteraceae (20). The States with highest number of species were Pernambuco (370), Bahia (360), Ceará (267) and Paraíba (261). The best-represented life forms were amphibious (193 species) and emergent (100). The aquatic flora of Northeastern Brazil exhibits high species richness; however, there is a scarcity of records of aquatic macrophytes for the States of Alagoas, Rio Grande do Norte, Maranhão, Sergipe and Piauí.

Field collection and herbaria data did not allow to quantify the diversity of aquatic plants from Northern Brazil, so we could not detect biogeographic patterns. Therefore, our objectives were to identify and quantify the aquatic macrophytes of North Brazilian states, analyzing herbaria data plataforms (SpeciesLink and Flora do Brasil). The checklist was produced by bibliographic search (articles published between 1980 and 2000), herbaria collections of the platforms SpeciesLink and Flora do Brasil and field expeditions, where we utilized asystematic sampling. We also analyzed the floristic similarity of aquatic macrophytes among Northern Brazil, wetlands of distinct Brazilian regions and the Neotropics. We recorded 539 species, of which 48 are endemic to Brazil. The states with highest number of species were Amazonas and Pará, independently on platform. The most represented families were Poaceae (89 species), Podostemaceae (55), Cyperaceae (50) and Fabaceae (47). We highlight the unprecedent richness of Podostemaceae, due to our own field collection efforts on favorable habitats, 25 species being endemic. Emergent and/or amphibious plants (515) were dominant in total species richness and were best represented in lotic habitats. We found significant differences in richness and floristics among states, obtained from the platforms. There is floristic similarity among Northern states and other Brazilian wetlands. In conclusion, we observed a rich aquatic flora in Northern Brazil, in spite of scarcity of records for Acre, Rondonia and Tocantins; we highlight the unprecedent number of endemic species of Podostemaceae (25) and contrasting richness between SpeciesLink and Flora do Brasil. KEYWORDS: floristics, life forms, Podostemaceae, species richness Lista atualizada de macrófitas aquáticas da região Norte do Brasil RESUMOOs eforços de campo e os dados de herbários não nos permitiam quantificar a diversidade plantas aquáticas no Norte do Brasil e, com isso, nos impediam de traçar padrõres biogeográficos sobre essa comunidade. Assim, o presente estudo teve por objetivos identificar e quantificar as macrófitas aquáticas dos estados do Norte do Brasil, analisando duas plataformas de dados de herbarios (SpeciesLink e Flora do Brasil). O checklist baseou-se em levantamento bibliográfico (revistas e artigos publicados entre 1980 e 2000) e em coletas de campo, na qual foi utilizada amostragem de "caminhamento". Após a elaboração do checklist, verificaram-se os registros das espécies para os estados da região, consultando-se as coleções das plataformas SpeciesLink e Flora do Brasil. Foi analisada a similaridade de especies de macrófitas aquáticas do Neotrópico, Norte do Brasil e ecossistemas aquáticos de distintas regiões do país. Foram registradas 539 espécies, sendo 48 endêmicas do Brasil. As famílias mais representativas foram Poaceae (89 espécies), Podostemaceae (55), Cyperaceae (50) e Fabaceae (47). Ressaltamos a inédita riqueza de Podostemaceae, devida a nossos esforços de coleta em ambientes propícios, 25 esp...

Resumo Os estudos florísticos e taxonômicos de macrófitas aquáticas contribuem para a quantificação da flora, vislumbrando a riqueza e diversidade presente nos ecossistemas aquáticos. O presente estudo objetiva caracterizar a composição florística, fornecer chaves de identificação e detectar as formas biológicas das macrófitas aquáticas presentes em três reservatórios de abastecimento público, localizados em diferentes regiões fitogeográficas do estado de Pernambuco (Zona da Mata/Litoral, Agreste e Sertão). As coletas foram realizadas no período de abril de 2007 a fevereiro de 2010. Foram coletados indivíduos férteis ou não, encontrados na margem e interior dos reservatórios. Foram amostradas 59 espécies e 23 famílias, entre as quais foram mais representativas: Fabaceae (10 espécies), Asteraceae (9), Poaceae (8) e Cyperaceae (6). Dentre formas biológicas, as mais comuns foram as anfíbias com 36 espécies (61,01%) e as emergentes, com 14 espécies (23,73%). Comparativamente a outros estudos florísticos foi observado que as famílias mais representativas encontradas nesse estudo também são comuns a outros ecossistemas aquáticos. A elevada representatividade das anfíbias e emergentes deve-se, principalmente, a resistência dessas espécies a variação do volume de água nos reservatórios. Por se localizarem em diferentes zonas fitogeográficas, a flora dos reservatórios mostra-se bem distinta, com apenas uma espécie em comum.

Initiatives directed at managing information on aquatic plants can support different areas of scientific research, educational practices and political decisions for sustainable management and protection of wetlands and natural resources, as well as reveal knowledge gaps regarding aquatic plants and wetlands. Furthermore, such initiatives can contribute directly to consolidating wetland classification systems in Brazil. The objectives of this work are to present and explore the use of a data repository and online platform created specifically for the management of data on aquatic plants in Brazil. The data repository for aquatic plants was developed to store information on species occurrence records in a standardized form considering: systematics, taxonomy, habit, life form, geographic distribution, hydrographic basin, wetland, bibliographic references and herbarium material. A total of 3,903 records referring to the Southeast Region of Brazil were generated for the data repository. This total encompassed 1,036 species distributed among 132 families and 466 genera. Our results illustrate the diversity of information available regarding aquatic plants, circumscribe this group of species and serve as a source of data about them. Similar databases and electronic infrastructures can be developed for other flora in the future.

This paper presents a new record for a heterotypic synonym of Pithophora roettleri (P. oedogonia) for the São Franscisco River basin. Pithophora are green filamentous algae, branched, with intercallary akinetes of variable (P. roettleri) or invariable (P. oedogonia) forms in the same individual. The species was found in a temporary pond, which has high electrical conductivity and temperature, and is localized in a semiarid area (Caatinga biome). The soil has median natural fertility and high concentration of dissolved salts. A short diagnosis with illustrations and two models of the potential geographic distribution for the species are included.