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As zonas costeiras acolhem quadros de alta riqueza e relevância ecológica que as qualificam como importante ecossistema para conservação. O objetivo deste estudo foi listar as espécies que compõem a restinga da praia do Paiva e descrever a sua fisionomia. A área de restinga compreende 147 ha, situa-se no Município do Cabo de Santo Agostinho, PE, sob as coordenadas 08º07'30"S e 35º00'55"W. As coletas florísticas foram realizadas durante 28 meses, em todos os estratos. O solo foi classificado como Neossolo Quartzarênico; foram determinadas duas fisionomias: a floresta não-inundável e o fruticeto aberto não-inundável. Foram listadas 124 espécies, distribuídas em 103 gêneros e 55 famílias. As famílias com maior número de espécies foram Myrtaceae, com 11 espécies, Cyperaceae (10), Fabaceae (8), Euphorbiaceae (7), Rubiaceae (6) e Asteraceae (5). As espécies Anacardium occidentale, Tapirira guianensis, Chamaecrista ramosa, Protium heptaphyllum, Byrsonima sericea, Myrcia rotundifolia e Marlierea schotti são encontradas na maioria das restingas do Nordeste. No entanto, devido à incipiência dos estudos na Região não foram verificadas espécies endêmicas.

Artemisia vulgaris is one of the important medicinal plant species of the genus Artemisia, which is usually known for its volatile oils. The genus Artemisia has become the subject of great interest due to its chemical and biological diversity as well as the discovery and isolation of promising anti-malarial drug artemisinin. A. vulgaris has a long history in treatment of human ailments by medicinal plants in various parts of the world. This medicinal plant possesses a broad spectrum of therapeutic properties including: anti-malarial, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-oxidant, anti-tumoral, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, anti-spasmodic and anti-septic. These activities are mainly attributed to the presence of various classes of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, sesquiterpene lactones, coumarins, acetylenes, phenolic acids, organic acids, mono- and sesquiterpenes. Studies related to A. vulgaris morphology, anatomy and phytochemistry has gained a significant interest for better understanding of production and accumulation of therapeutic compounds in this species. Recently, phytochemical and pharmacological investigations have corroborated the therapeutic potential of bioactive compounds of A. vulgaris. These findings provided further evidence for gaining deeper insight into the identification and isolation of novel compounds, which act as alternative sources of anti-malarial drugs in a cost-effective manner. Considering the rising demand and various medical applications of A. vulgaris, this review highlights the recent reports on the chemistry, biological activities and biotechnological interventions for controlled and continuous production of bioactive compounds from this plant species.

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RESUMO -(Caracterização da vegetação de restinga da RPPN de Maracaípe, PE, Brasil, com base na fisionomia, flora, nutrientes do solo e lençol freático). O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar o levantamento florístico e descrever as fisionomias, relacionando-as com as formas de vida, fertilidade do solo e variações do lençol freático encontradas na restinga de Maracaípe. A área possui 76,2 ha de vegetação de restinga, sob as coordenadas 08º31'48"S e 35º01'05"W. Possui clima do tipo As' e solo classificado como Neossolo Quartzarênico. Foram feitas caminhadas aleatórias nas três fisionomias existentes -floresta, campo não inundável e campo inundável, durante o período de julho/2003 a julho/2005, para coleta de material botânico. A lista florística foi comparada a outras listas de restinga da região Nordeste. Foram inventariadas 187 espécies, 148 gêneros, distribuídas em 71 famílias. Entre as famílias mais representativas, destacam-se: Poaceae (13 espécies), Cyperaceae (12), Myrtaceae (10), Orchidaceae (9), Rubiaceae (8), Bromeliaceae e Fabaceae (7). A forma de vida "fanerófito" foi elevada na fisionomia florestal e as formas "caméfito", "terófito" e "criptófito", nas fisionomias campo inundável e não inundável. Os solos das fisionomias diferiram quanto à composição química e só ocorreu afloramento do lençol freático na fisionomia campo inundável. Este estudo permitiu concluir que a proporção de formas de vida, variação no nível do lençol freático, matéria orgânica e teor de alumínio no solo foram determinantes na separação das fisionomias da restinga de Maracaípe.Palavras-chave: campo inundável, campo não inundável, floresta, forma de vida, vegetação costeira ABSTRACT -(Characterization of restinga vegetation at Maracaípe, Pernambuco State, Brazil, based on physiognomy, flora, soil nutrients, and water-table level). We undertook a floristic survey to describe the phytophysiognomies of a restinga at Maracaípe, and related these to life form, soil fertility, and variation in the local water-table level. The study area is located at 08º31'48"S and 35º01'05"W, and has 76.2 ha of restinga vegetation. The regional climate is classified as As' and local soils are sandy Neosols. Random walks to collect botanical material were made in the three different vegetation physiognomies found in the area -forest, flooded grassland and non-flooded grassland -from July/2003 to July/2005. The resulting list of plant species was compared to other restinga areas of Northeast Brazil. A total of 187 species belonging to 148 genera and 71 families were found in the survey area. The families best represented were Poaceae (13 species), Cyperaceae (12), Myrtaceae (10), Orchidaceae (9), Rubiaceae (8), Bromeliaceae and Fabaceae (7). Phanerophytes were well represented in the forest, while camephytes, therophytes, and cryptophytes were best represented in the flooded grassland and non-flooded grassland. The soils of the different vegetation physiognomies differed in terms of chemical composition, and the water table reached the soil surface only ...

The State of Maranhão comprises the second largest coastline in Brazil. Nonetheless, few floristic surveys on restinga vegetation have been performed in Northeastern Brazil. This study aimed to survey floristic in a restinga of Maranhão, and to assess its similarity to other restingas in the states of Pará and Piauí. Botanical specimens were sampled at Sítio Aguahy, in the municipality of São José de Ribamar, along the eastern coast of Maranhão between June/2012 and October/2013. Species identification and life forms classification followed the usual methods employed in floristic studies. Similarities in plant composition of six sites were estimated based on cluster analysis through Bray-Curtis distance. In the studied area, we found 116 phanerogamic species, 100 genera and 52 families; 19 species were new occurrences for the restinga of Maranhão. Families with largest number of species were Fabaceae, Cyperaceae, Rubiaceae, Poaceae, Myrtaceae, Asteraceae, Malvaceae, Combretaceae, and Eriocaulaceae, which comprised 49.2% of all sampled species. We identified 41 nanophanerophytes, 34 terophytes, 15 camephytes, ten microphanerophytes, six hemicryptophytes, and five lianas. Similarity analyses indicated greater affinity between the restinga flora from the states of Maranhão and Pará than that observed for the states of Maranhão and Piauí, suggesting that the process of species colonization in the former is more likely derived from the Amazon Forest. It is expected that these results may encourage future researchers to conduct further surveys in restinga areas of the Maranhão aiming to better understand the influence of neighboring vegetation on the colonization of the coastal areas of Maranhão. KEYWORDS: Coastal sand plains, ecotone, floristic similarity, Brazilian northeast. Riqueza de espécies em uma restinga no leste do Maranhão, Nordeste do Brasil RESUMOO Estado do Maranhão possui o segundo maior litoral da costa brasileira. No entanto, poucos levantamentos florísticos foram realizados nas áreas de restinga no Nordeste do Brasil. O presente estudo teve como objetivo realizar um levantamento florístico em uma área de restinga no Maranhão e analisar a similaridade com a flora das restingas dos Estados do Pará e do Piauí. As coletas botânicas foram realizadas na restinga do Sítio Aguahy, município de São José de Ribamar, na porção oriental da Ilha do Maranhão, no período de junho de 2012 a outubro de 2013. A identificação das espécies e a classificação das formas de vida seguiu a metodologia usual em estudos florísticos. A similaridade foi realizada através de análise de cluster a partir da distância de Bray-Curtis, onde foram considerados seis estudos. Foram listadas 116 espécies fanerogâmicas, 100 gêneros e 52 famílias. Deste total, 19 espécies são apresentadas como novas ocorrências para o litoral do Maranhão. As famílias com maior número de espécies foram Fabaceae, Cyperaceae, Rubiaceae, Poaceae, Myrtaceae, Asteraceae, Malvaceae, Combretaceae e Eriocaulaceae, correspondendo a 49.2% das espécies encontra...

Restinga vegetation occurs along the entire coast of Brazil. The 187 km of coastline of the state of Pernambuco demonstrates a diversity of habitats, such as beaches, dunes, and restingas. The present study sought to elaborate a checklist of the phanerogamic species found there. The species listed were compiled from surveys undertaken between 1951 and 2007, as well as from herbaria collections in that state. A total of 477 species distributed among 303 genera and 95 families were encountered. The families with the greatest numbers of species were Poaceae (39 species), Fabaceae (34), Cyperaceae (26), Euphorbiaceae (25), Myrtaceae (24), Rubiaceae (20), Caesalpiniaceae (17), Mimosaceae (16), Asteraceae (14), Orchidaceae (14), Bromeliaceae (9), Boraginaceae (8), Malvaceae (8), Solanaceae (8), and Annonaceae, Araceae, Chrysobalanaceae, Malpighiaceae, and Melastomataceae (7 each). Approximately 60 % of the species were common to other restinga areas in northeastern Brazil, and 39.3 % were restricted to the coast of Pernambuco.

Sandy coastal plain (Restinga) vegetation is composed of the plant communities that grow on Quaternary Neosols along the entire Brazilian coast. Ceará state has a coastal extension of 578 km and lies totally within the semi-arid zone of northeastern Brazil. Here we present a checklist of the phanerogamic species found along the coast of Ceará that was compiled from surveys and collections found at the EAC herbarium (Fortaleza, Ceará). A total of 391 species distributed among 208 genera and 41 families were identified. The families with the greatest numbers of species were Fabaceae senso latu (130 species), Cyperaceae (51), Poaceae (47), Rubiaceae (27), Euphorbiaceae (19), Asteraceae (13), Bignoniaceae (11) and Malvaceae (12), representing over 78.77% of the species collected.