Resumo AbstractThis study focuses on the Erythroxylaceae found in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast Brazil. It is based on a morphological analysis of herbaria collections, as well as on a review of the relevant literature and on collections in the field. A total of 11 species were recorded for the state: Erythroxylum barbatum, E. caatingae, E. nummularia, E. passerinum, E. pungens, E. revolutum, E. rimosum, E. simonis, E. squamatum, E. subrotundum and E. vacciniifolium, of which seven are new records for Rio Grande do Norte. An identification key, descriptions, illustrations, habitat data, phenology, and species distribution are also provided.

The shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora.

Erythroxylaceae tem distribuição pantropical e apresenta cerca de 240 espécies circunscritas a quatro gêneros. Apenas Erythroxylum ocorre na região Neotropical e no Brasil são registradas 123 espécies, com maior diversidade na Mata Atlântica, especialmente no Nordeste. A Mata Atlântica do Nordeste do Brasil, considerada a porção mais ameaçada do bioma, é a área com maior diversidade de espécies de Erythroxylum e, embora diversa, a região ainda apresenta deficiência quanto a estudos florísticos e taxonômicos. Desse modo, este estudo objetivou inventariar as espécies de Erythroxylaceae que ocorrem nos fragmentos florestais da Usina São José (Igarassu, Pernambuco), e faz parte do levantamento da flora da área. Este estudo foi baseado na análise morfológica de espécimes coletados na referida área e de espécimes das coleções dos principais herbários do país. Foram registradas oito espécies: Erythroxylum citrifolium, E. mikanii, E. mucronatum, E. nitidum, E. rhodappendiculatum, E. rimosum, E. squamatum e E. subrotundum. Dentre estas, três espécies são registradas aqui pela primeira vez no estado de Pernambuco. Chave para identificação, descrições, ilustrações e comentários sobre hábitat e distribuição geográfica dos táxons são apresentados.

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Erythroxylum umbrosum, a new species of Erythroxylum sect. Archerythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae) of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, which occurs in submontane forests in the states of Alagoas and Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil, is described and illustrated. It is characterized by having non-striated, reduced stipules that are shortly 3–setose at the apex, a staminal cup longer than the calyx lobes, and an endocarp with cylindrical cross-section. The morphological differences of the new species with related and sympatric species are discussed.

Three new species of Erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae) from the Atlantic Forest of Northeastern Brazil are described and illustrated: Erythroxylum stenopetalum from the states of Paraíba and Pernambuco, and E. rhodappendiculatum and E. tapacuranum from Pernambuco. Due to their restricted distribution, and in accordance with the IUCN criteria, the new species are provisionally considered as Critically Endangered (CR) or Data Deficient (DD).Geographical distribution, habitat, and comments on their morphological affinities are provided.

Five new species of Ruellia from the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil are described: Ruellia curupira, R. fulozinha, R. insurrecta, R. jiboia, and R. taboleirana. Ruellia curupira (from the States of Alagoas and Bahia), R. fulozinha (Alagoas and Pernambuco), R. insurrecta (Alagoas), and R. jiboia (Alagoas and Bahia) occur exclusively in forested areas, whereas R. taboleirana is restricted to “Tabuleiros litorâneos” (Tabuleiro savanna) vegetation from Rio Grande do Norte to Alagoas. Due to the restricted distribution, resulting from high fragmented areas and the imminent threats, the five new species here proposed are provisionally considered under some degree of threat in accordance with the IUCN criteria. We provide morphological descriptions, comments on morphological affinities, data on habitat and distribution, as well as illustrations and photographs of living plants.

Until recently, Harpochilus (Acanthaceae) contained two morphologically distinct species, Harpochilus neesianus and H. phaeocarpus, from northeastern Brazil. During an analysis of herbarium collections, we found an undescribed species of Harpochilus from the Brazilian semiarid region. However, another group of botanists simultaneously discovered the species and described it as H. paraibanus. Harpochilus neesianus and H. paraibanus are similar due to their morphologically complex flowers specialized for bat pollination, nocturnal anthesis, and anthers with non-appendiculate thecae. Unlike H. neesianus and H. paraibanus, the floral morphology of H. phaeocarpus and Cyrtanthera citrina, a name used for several misidentified collections of H. paraibanus, is more similar to that of Justicia. Thus, these species are here combined under Justicia. We also provide additional information on the morphology, geographic distribution and conservation status of H. paraibanus, and propose lectotypes for Harpochilus, H. neesianus, and C. citrina.