The Orchidaceae family in the Serra do Ouro Branco, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

• Grant number: 13/13143-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date until: September 01, 2013
• End date until: July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Plant Taxonomy
• Principal Investigator: Fábio de Barros
• Grantee: Tiago Luiz Vieira Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Botânica. Secretaria de Meio Ambiente, Infraestrutura e Logística (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Orchidaceae is the most diverse family among monocotyledons with about 24.500 species and the second most diverse among the angiosperms of Brazil with 2.440 species. Among the mountainous regions of Brazil, the Espinhaço Range deserves notorious emphasis, since it has an extremely rich and particular flora, especially in rocky fields, which have high rates of endemism. In floristic works already carried out in the Espinhaço Range, Orchidaceae has high species richness, always appearing between families with the largest number of species. The objective of this work is to realize a floristic and taxonomic study of the family in the Serra do Ouro Branco, Minas Gerais, Brazil, as well as a comparative analysis of the Orchidaceae flora between different areas of the Espinhaço through cluster analysis (UPGMA) and ordination (PCA). The collection of botanical material will be carried out through five field expeditions, seeking cover different seasons over a year. Also will be visited the herbaria SP, SPF, ESA, UEC, BHCB, VIC, HB, R and RB. The expected results are: (a) identification and morphological description of the species, (b) preparation of identification keys to genera and species, (c) illustrations of some species (without illustrations in the literature), (d) survey data of the species found (e.g. occurrence of endemics, survey and discussion of biogeographical data, details of taxonomic order) and (e) make a comparative analysis of the Orchidaceae flora along the Espinhaço Range with methods of clustering and ordination. Among the products of this work are included the dissertation, summaries in events (Symposiums, National Congress) and scientific articles to be published in journals with impact.