The Forsteronia genus diversity (Apocynaceae, Mesechitae) for the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil

• Grant number: 24/06979-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Plant Taxonomy
• Principal Investigator: Ingrid Koch
• Grantee: Thamires Albuquerque da Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Espirito Santo, the seventh state in angiosperm richness in the country, is located in the Atlantic Forest, within a region of high levels of diversity and endemism, but that is being threatened. The Project Espírito Santo's Flora looks for listing, describing and identifying the territory's botanic species and helps update the information on plants biodiversity of the state since new species have been described for the region. Between the angiosperm families found in Espírito Santo, Apocynaceae is the 8th most representative, and Forsteronia, the 4th genus most abundant. Considering that the last revision for the genus was published in the 1930s and new species were described since then, in this study, we intend to evaluate and do a synopsis of the genus situation as part of the Apocynaceae treatment on the project Espírito Santo's Flora. To this purpose, herbarium's collections database will be accessed through platforms such as SpeciesLink and REFLORA and visits to regional collections for exsicatas analisis. After confirmation, correction (when needed) and determination of undetermined, it will be possible to create regional identification keys, descriptions, taxonomic commentaries, update distribution maps, evaluate the conservation status and list functional traits for the species analyzed. The identifications will be done through identification keys, images and species original descriptions. As of representation insufficiency, new collections will happen and exsicatas and boards will be done to help with identification, visualization and comparison between th species.