Flora of Espírito Santo: Commelinaceae

Abstract

This work is a part of the Flora do Espírito Santo project. The aim was to morphologically characterize the species of Commelinaceae occurring in the state of Espírito Santo and provide data on their geographical distribution, phenology, and comments. Fieldwork and herbarium studies were carried out. A total of 38 species, arranged in 10 genera, were recorded. Dichorisandra is the richest genus (17 species), followed by Commelina (seven spp.), Tradescantia (four spp.), Siderasis (three spp.), Tripogandra (two spp.), and Aneilema, Callisia, Floscopa, Gibasis and Tinantia (one species each). Two species are herein described as new to science, and the synonymization of D. albomarginata is proposed under the older D. procera. Inflorescence (type and position), stamens (number, color, and anther dehiscence), fruit (shape and ornamentation), and seeds (ornamentation, the position of the embryotega, and hilum shape) are the key diagnostic morphological characters for genus and species delimitation. Most of the species richness and abundance are concentrated in the mountain region of Espírito Santo, one of the largest forest areas in the state, showing the importance of conserving the remaining Atlantic Forest’s fragments.