This is a review of current studies in diversity of the flora and main vegetation types in the Brazilian Pantanal. The flora of this wetland, nearly 2,000 species, constitutes a pool of elements of wide distribution and from more or less adjacent phytogeographic provinces, such as Cerrado, dry seasonal forests, Chaco, Amazonia and Atlantic Forest. The most numerous group includes wide-distribution species, mainly herbs, while the second contingent comes from the Cerrado. Endemic plants are rare, numbering only seven. The vegetation of the sedimentary floodplain is a mosaic of aquatics, floodable grasslands, riparian forests, savannas (cerrados), cerrado woodlands, dry forests, and a large area of mono-dominant savannas, and pioneer woodlands. The main vegetation types are briefly described with their characteristic species, and their estimated areas are given according to the latest mapping.

This is a short review of the state of the art concerning diversity of aquatic macrophytes and the main aquatic vegetation types in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland and upper watershed. There are ca. 280 species of aquatic macrophytes on the Pantanal floodplain, with scarce endemism. On the upper watershed, Cerrado wetlands (veredas) and limestone springs have a distinct flora from the Pantanal, with twice the species richness. As a representative case of aquatic habitats influenced by river flood, some primary data are presented for the Pantanal Matogrossense National Park and associated Acurizal Preserve, analysing the floristic similarity among aquatic vegetation types. We comment on problems of conservation and observe that Panicum elephantipes Nees is one of the few natives to compete with the invasive Urochloa arrecta (Hack. ex T. Durand & Schinz) Morrone & Zuloaga.Keywords: flora, aquatic plants, floodplain, savanna, vereda. Diversidade de macrófitas aquáticas do Pantanal e alta bacia ResumoEsta é uma breve revisão sobre o estado do conhecimento sobre as macrófitas aquáticas e os principais tipos de vegetação do Pantanal brasileiro e da alta bacia. A flora da planície inundável é de aproximadamente 280 espécies, com escasso endemismo. Na alta bacia, as áreas úmidas do Cerrado (veredas) e nascentes em calcário têm flora distinta do Pantanal, com o dobro da riqueza de espécies. Como um caso representativo de ambientes aquáticos influenciados por inundação fluvial, são apresentados alguns dados primários do Parque Nacional do Pantanal mato-grossense e da Reserva Acurizal associada, analisando-se a similaridade florística entre tipos de vegetação aquática e comentandose os problemas de conservação na região, onde foi observado que a espécie Panicum elephantipes Nees é uma das poucas nativas que competem com a invasora Urochloa arrecta (Hack. ex T. Durand & Schinz) Morrone & Zuloaga.Palavras-chave: flora, plantas aquáticas, campo úmido, savana, vereda.

A survey on the use of medical plants was carried out in the rural communities of the Rio Negro sub-region of the Pantanal and the raizeiros from Aquidauana and Miranda municipalities, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, in order to recover the ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological knowledge of these communities. Structured questionnaires were run with the residents of eight farms and 12 raizeiros. The results reveal 25 botanical families, 45 genera and 48 species of medicinal plants used, six of which are indicated for kidney disturbances, six for urinary disturbances, five for inflammation treatment, 13 for stomach aches, 10 for respiratory disturbances, four for treating sprains, four for healing wounds, four as anti-diarrheaic and one as antipyretic, among other illnesses. The main family was Asteraceae, with 12 species used. The principal preparation methods of the medicinal herbs in the Rio Negro sub-region and surrounding areas were infusion (35) and, mostly, mixed with "chimarrão" or "mate quente", traditional beverage. Nineteen exotic species are used by the raizeiros, (39.58%), which indicates a strong influence of the urban environment. The traditional pantaneiros have greater knowledge of medicinal plants than the raizeiros, and they cited only five exotic species (16.1%). Thus, this biome is an important vegetation complex for the study of medicinal herbs, covering a diversity of species with great potential for ethnobotanical studies (e.g. Conceição and Paula, 1986;Pott and Pott, 1994;Bortolotto, 1999;Souza and Guarim-Neto, 1999;Pott and Pott, 2000;Schwenk and Silva, 2000;Campos Filho, 2002). It is also occupied by a native population with great cultural importance, adapted to the intermittent cycles of flood and drought of the region, the pantaneiros or marsh-dwellers (Nogueira, 2002). KeywordsThe use of plants for therapeutic purposes in the Pantanal region has long been reported in various Indian tribes. Since the first colonisation of the region, especially during the Paraguay War (1864-1870), extractivist activities have been intensified in other communities and are now part of the 'pantaneiros' lives, either for medicinal ends or just to bring comfort in the face of their daily adversities (WHO, 2002).The knowledge of the correct use of plant species normally belongs to restricted groups of the population, known as raizeiros (generally people with little formal education, who through the knowledge transmitted by their parents or other people with empirical knowledge, use plants for disease treatment), benzedeiras (usually women, who treat distinct diseases through prayer and herbs) and other, usually elderly, people, who received medicinal information from their ancestors (Guarim-Neto, 2006). As these groups are restricted and often threatened by environmental changes, which alter their lifestyle and culture, the recovery of this ethnobotanical knowledge is fundamental in rescuing traditions that may soon be lost.Considering the information gaps in the ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacologica...

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a metodologia mais adequada para superação de dormência das sementes de Parkia gigantocarpa Ducke e produção de mudas. As sementes foram submetidas aos seguintes tratamentos: imersão em água fervente à temperatura de 100 ºC, por 10 minutos; escarificação ácida, com imersão em ácido sulfúrico (H 2 SO 4) a 98 %, por 5, 10, 20, 30 e 40 minutos; escarificação mecânica, com abrasão em lixa n o 80 por 15 segundos, e testemunha (sem tratamento). Também foi realizada a avaliação da qualidade das mudas através da massa seca das raízes primárias. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com oito métodos de superação de dormência. Levando-se em consideração todos os parâmetros avaliados, os resultados indicaram que a escarificação ácida por 30 e 40 minutos foram os métodos mais eficientes para a superação da dormência das sementes de Parkia gigantocarpa, proporcionando maior vigor na germinação e maiores médias de massa seca para as raízes primárias. Palavras-chave: espécies florestais; sementes nativas; faveira.

ABSTRACT:The interference of chemicals in the germination and growth of plant species, known as allelopathy, is one of the main ways of eliminating competition for resources through the release of allelochemicals. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of secondary metabolites in extracts prepared from leaves of Vochysia haenkeana, evaluating their allelopathic action on the germination and seedling growth of lettuce and tomato. The plant material was collected in the Taboco region, Mato Grosso do Sul state, and after drying and grinding, underwent extraction with the use of water and ethanol, concentration of 200.0 g L -1 . The method using an ultrasound bath was followed by maceration for 24 h in the refrigerator without the presence of light. The extracts were subjected to classical phytochemical analysis and the determination of pH, electrical conductivity, soluble solids and allelopathic tests. For bioassays, the extracts were diluted at concentrations of 25.0, 50.0, 100.0 and 150.0 g L -1 and the experimental design was completely randomized. There was a reduction in the percentage and speed of germination at concentrations of 25.0 and 50.0 g L -1 in both extracts. The seedling growth was also adversely affected, both in the germination chamber and in the greenhouse. These results are probably associated with the presence of different allelochemicals in the extracts, such as phenolic compounds and flavonoids, indicating that this species presented allelopathic action.