Boraginales (Boraginaceae s.l.) and Lamiales (Lamiaceae and Verbenaceae) in a Conservation Area in the Semiarid Region of Northeastern Brazil

Francisco Carlos Pinheiro da Costa,José Iranildo Miranda de Melo

doi:10.1590/2175-7860201970009

Abstract

Abstract A taxonomic treatment for Boraginales (Boraginaceae s.l.) and Lamiales (Lamiaceae and Verbenaceae) in the Engenheiro Avidos Ecological Park, a full-protection reserve located in the semiarid region of Paraíba State in northeastern Brazil is presented in this study. At the Park, a total of 22 species were encountered, including nine species of Boraginaceae s.l., six species of Lamiaceae, and seven species of Verbenaceae. Vitex orinocensis (Lamiaceae) was found for the first time for Caatinga and also represents a new record for Paraíba state. Morphological descriptions, keys for separating the families and respective species; data concerning flowering, fruiting, geographic distributions, and of the preferred habitats of the species found in the study area are also provided.

Highlights

Boraginaceae Juss. in their traditional circumscription is a cosmopolitan family, widely distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions, the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere and the Mediterranean being its main centers of diversity (Al-Shehbaz 1991)
The present study considered the former circumscription of Boraginaceae s.l
The present study focuses on the taxonomic diversity of Boraginaceae, Lamiaceae and Verbenaceae families in Engenheiro Avidos Ecological Park (EAEP), aiming to increase the knowledge of vegetal biodiversity in Alto Sertão, and this approach will allow subsidizing the conservation activities of the Ecological Park

Summary

Introduction

Boraginaceae Juss. in their traditional circumscription is a cosmopolitan family, widely distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions, the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere and the Mediterranean being its main centers of diversity (Al-Shehbaz 1991). This species is distributed throughout Brazil, except in Rio Grande do Sul state (BFG 2018); found in the Amazon and Atlantic forests, Cerrado, Caatinga, and the Pantanal (wetlands), commonly associated with anthropogenically altered areas, it can be encountered long the margins of rivers and streams and in the shadow of tree canopies growing on sandy or clayey soils and on rock outcrops (BFG 2018).

Results

Conclusion