Dendrological characteristics of tree species of the Papilionoideae subfamily in a cerrado sensu stricto physiognomy, Tocantins, Brazil

Abstract

The Cerrado harbors 5% of the entire biological diversity of the planet, and also presents about 11 phytophysiognomies which vary from forest formations to country and savanna compositions, according to their aspect and composition. In view of the great diversity of species in the Fabaceae family and the consequent difficulty in recognizing them, more studies are needed to contribute to the correct identification of species, aiming toward better presentation of the collected data. The present work aims to elaborate/create a key for dendrological identification of some tree species of the Papilionoideae subfamily. The work was developed at the Federal University of Tocantins, campus of Gurupi, TO, Brazil. The identification key was elaborated based on the dendrological and morphological descriptions identified in the sampled species, namely: habit, trunk morphology, aspects of the bark (rhytidome and dehiscence), leaves (type, phyllotaxis, characteristics of the petiole, presence and type of stipule, nervation, color, characterization of the rachis, presence of glands, margin of the limb, scars), presence or absence of other characteristics (latex and other exudation, lenticels, thorns or aculeles). The dendrological identification key provided better visualization of the collected data, enabling quick and easy identification of the plant species sampled.