Abstract
This paper provides a taxonomic assessment and distribution details of the species of the genus Ludwigia L. (Onagraceae) for the Paraíba State, Northeastern Brazil. Six species were found: L. erecta (L.) H.Hara, L. helminthorrhiza (Mart.) H.Hara, L. hyssopifolia (G.Don) Exell, L. leptocarpa (Nutt.) H.Hara, L. nervosa (Poir.) H.Hara and L. octovalvis (Jacq.) P.H.Raven. Ludwigia nervosa was recorded for the first time in the studied area. Our taxonomic treatment comprises an identification key to the species. For each species, description, illustrations, taxonomic comments, flowering and fruiting data, geographic distribution map, and the conservation status for the studied area are provided. Among the recorded species, three were classified as “Near Threatened”, two as “Vulnerable” and one as “Critically Endangered”.
Highlights
The flowering plant family Onagraceae Juss. includes approximately 660 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees in 22 genera and has a cosmopolitan distribution with prevalence in subtropical and temperate regions (Wagner et al 2007)
No endemic taxon to Brazil was reported, the current study provided one new record of Ludwigia for the flora of the Paraíba State (L. nervosa (Poir.) H.Hara)
45 species of the genus Ludwigia are recorded in Brazil, of which nineteen species (39.6%) are endemic to the country (Vieira 2015), but only six species of the genus Ludwigia were found in the Paraíba State
Summary
The flowering plant family Onagraceae Juss. includes approximately 660 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees in 22 genera and has a cosmopolitan distribution with prevalence in subtropical and temperate regions (Wagner et al 2007). Among the genera of Onagraceae, Ludwigia can be recognized by the absence of the floral tube, pollen grains grouped in tetrads or polyads, sepals persistent after fertilization and following the ripening of the fruit, and nectariferous disk at the base of the stigma (Eyde 1978). These characteristics support the monophyly of the genus and indicate that Ludwigia represents the sister group to the remainder of Onagraceae (Wagner et al 2007). Considering that information on the taxonomic diversity and distribution of Ludwigia (Onagraceae) is still scarce, especially in the Northeast Region of Brazil, this work presents a taxonomic study of Ludwigia in Paraíba State, Brazil, aiming at increasing our understanding of the diversity and distribution of the genus
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