Flora of Rio Preto National Forest: Salicaceae

Abstract

Salicaceae (Malpighiales) has a pantropical distribution, with 58 genera and ca. 1,200 species, and the Neotropical region is its center of diversity. In Brazil, 20 genera and 104 species can be found, of which 35 species are endemic. Holding almost half of Salicaceae diversity of the Atlantic Forest domain, Espírito Santo state has registered 23 species and four genera. Facing a large number of unidentified vouchers from the north of the state and challenging diagnostic characters for specific delimitation, this work aims to provide a taxonomic survey of Salicaceae of the Rio Preto National Forest. To do so, monthly field expeditions were carried out from January/2018 to March/2020. Salicaceae of Rio Preto National Forest is represented by four genera and nine species, where the genus Xylosma (X. glaberrima) and the species Banara serrata are new records to Espírito Santo state. Casearia is the richest genus with six species. Characters such as thorns, stipules, leaf punctations, type of venation and leaf margin, position and morphology of the leaf glands, position and morphology (sessile or pedunculate) of the inflorescences, number of floral whorls and position of the disc lobes are the most important characters for specific recognition.