Diversity of Cyperaceae in Brazil

Abstract

The purpose of this catalogue was to combine the available data from publications, theses, databases, and herbarium specimens from around 120 Herbaria, and colections sampled in Brazilian vegetation during the last 15 years to produce the most complete list, as possible as, of Cyperaceae species for Brazil. We catalogued ca. 1,700 names for 678 species in 42 genera occurring in Brazil. These values represent ca. 15 percent of the species and 40 percent of the genera found in the world. Both subfamilies of Cyperaceae are found in Brazil with Cyperoideae being the most diverse at both generic and specific levels. Although lower species were recorded for the tribes Cryptangieae, Sclerieae, and Trilepideae, these tribes represent a much higher percentage of the world's totals for genera and species. The most diverse genera are Rhynchospora (157 spp.), Cyperus (101 spp.), Scleria (82 spp.) and Eleocharis (69 spp.). Fifteen genera have one species in Brazil, although five of them are monospecific. The most species-rich regions in Brazil are the North and Southeast. There are no genera endemic to Brazil. There are, however, around 200 endemic species, of which 40 are in the genus Rhynchospora. Taxonomic and nomenclatural problems found are pointed under the species. For each catalogued species, the principal synonyms, bibliographic references, distribution within Brazil's five regions, vegetation type, and citation of selected material examined are provided.

Aquatic vascular plants as handicraft: a case study in southern Brazil

“…Other species referred to as "tiriricas" and "capins" exhibit dense inflorescences that are typical of the Cyperaceae and Poaceae families (Alves et al 2009). This common appearance supports the assumption that morphological features of plants may influence the type of handicraft produced and may increase the potential number of products that are made, as proposed by Kotze & Traynor (2011), whereas the versatility of plants is based on their morphological features and the number of artisanal objects.…”

Pleurostachys (Cyperaceae): nomenclatural notes, geographical distribution and conservation status

“…Two names have been largely used to identify samples of this species: P. beyrichii and P. pubera, both proposed here as new synonyms. After a large set of samples analyzed from different localities especially from Brazil, it is clear that the variation in leaf length, number of branches in the synflorescence and achene size is widespread in the taxon, making it impossible to use regular macromorphological characters to recognize different species as had previous been done by Govaerts et al (2007) and Alves et al (2009Alves et al ( , 2014. Population studies under a molecular approach can provide a better understanding and maybe result in the recognition of more than one taxon.…”

“…is a Neotropical genus of Cyperaceae with a restricted distribution, being mainly found in the Atlantic Forest, humid forests which run along the Brazilian coast (Thomas & Alves, 2008). Almost 35 valid names are cited for the genus by Govaerts et al (2007), and 14-20 of them have been accepted by Guaglianone et al (2008) and Alves et al (2009Alves et al ( , 2014 for Brazil. This shows that Brazil is a center of diversity of the genus.…”

Importance of anatomical leaf features for characterization of three species of Mapania (Mapanioideae, Cyperaceae) from the Amazon Forest, Brazil

“…is particularly well represented in the equatorial regions of South America, Africa, and Asia (Simpson 1989), with 84 species (Govaerts et al 2007). Seven species occur in Northern Brazil, in the states of Amazonas, Amapá, Pará, and Roraima (Alves et al 2014). In Amazonas, M. macrophylla and M. pycnostachya are both found in flooded areas close to small streams ('igarapés'), while M. sylvatica occurs on unflooded lands known as 'terra firme' forests (Ribeiro et al 1999).…”