An illustrated guide of ferns and lycophytes from Carambeí, PR, Brazil

Cássio Michelon,Mathias Erich Engels,Bianca Kalinowski Canestraro,Frederico Fregolente Faracco Mazziero

doi:10.1590/2175-7860201869204

Abstract

Abstract We present a list of species of ferns and lycophytes from Carambeí, a municipality located in Paraná state, southern Brazil. This area, locally known as “Campos Gerais”, presents an intricate mosaic of forests and savannah with several canyons and humid valleys that harbors a rich and unique vegetation in Southern Brazil. In total, we found 129 species (119 ferns and 10 lycophytes), distributed in 18 families and 59 genera, and 20% (26 spp.) of which are endemic to Brazil. The most expressive families were Polypodiaceae (19 spp.), Pteridaceae (18 spp.) and Thelypteridaceae (15 spp.). The most representative genera were Asplenium (8 spp. - 6.2%) and Amauropelta (8 spp - 6.2%). Terrestrial herbs, epiphytes and lithophytes are the most common guild of life forms, successively. The richest environments were woody forest (61% of the species) and herbaceous-shrubby (12%). Arachniodes denticulata, Phlegmariurus flexibilis and P. Heterocarpon are the second record in the “Campos Gerais” region. We also provide photographic plates with diagnostic characters for most of the species.

Highlights

Ferns and lycophytes are an important component of the vascular flora in tropical forests, representing 10% to 14% of the diversity in these environments, often being the dominant groups in the understory (Gentry 1990; Costa 2004; Moran 2008)
The Atlantic Forest is the most diverse domain in Brazil harboring 883 species and the Ombrophilous Forest is the type of vegetation with greatest diversity with 90% of the species in this domain (Prado et al 2015)
This study aims to contribute to the knowledge of the diversity of these groups in the “Campos Gerais” region, providing a list of species, as well as data about geographic distribution, phytophysiognomy and guild of life forms

Summary

Introduction

Ferns and lycophytes are an important component of the vascular flora in tropical forests, representing 10% to 14% of the diversity in these environments, often being the dominant groups in the understory (Gentry 1990; Costa 2004; Moran 2008). The Atlantic Forest is the most diverse domain in Brazil harboring 883 species and the Ombrophilous Forest is the type of vegetation with greatest diversity with 90% of the species in this domain (Prado et al 2015). This diversity is reflected in several studies carried out in these areas, such as, Mynssen & Windisch (2004) for Rio de Janeiro state, Salino & Almeida (2008) and Mazziero et al (2015) for São Paulo state and Matos et al (2010) for Bahia state. We provide photographic records with diagnosis characters for most of the species

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Conclusion