Floristic inventory of Myrtaceae of Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

Myrtaceae is a diverse family in Brazil and the sixth most representative family in the Atlantic Forest. In Paraná, the Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (ParNa Iguaçu) is a large National Park and also one of the largest remnants of this phytogeographic domain. The objective of the present study was to carry out a floristic inventory of the Myrtaceae of the ParNa Iguaçu, presenting an identification key to the species, illustrations, conservation status evaluation, and comments on geographic distribution and phenology. The collections were carried out between May 2019 and March 2020 in two areas composed of Seasonal Semideciduous Forest and a transitional area to Mixed Ombrophilous Forest. In addition to the samples collected by us, material from other herbaria were also examined. Twenty-five native species and one exotic species of Myrtaceae were found, distributed in seven genera. Eugenia was the most representative genus with 11 species. Of the 26 species, seven are new occurrences for ParNa Iguaçu. From the samples collected in this research and other records in the northwest and west regions of the state of Paraná, the presence of Psidium striatulum in Seasonal Semideciduous Forest is confirmed. Eugenia myrciariifolia was the only species on Brazil’s endangered species list, the IUCN conservation status of which is Endangered (EN). The other species were considered as Least Concern (LC), but some of these species are restricted to certain areas or types of vegetation. Therefore, we conclude that ParNa Iguaçu contributes to the maintenance of these species in their natural environment.