Resumo Melastomataceae é a sexta família de angiospermas com maior número de espécies no Brasil e a sétima no Espírito Santo, apesar deste ainda apresentar poucos trabalhos relacionados a esta família. O objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar o levantamento florístico-taxonômico de Melastomataceae na Área de Proteção Ambiental Mestre Álvaro (APAMA), localizada no município da Serra, Região Metropolitana de Vitória, um remanescente de Floresta Atlântica que apresenta importantes fragmentos florestais em estágios avançados de regeneração. Expedições de campo foram realizadas entre 2012 e 2014. Também foram analisados espécimes depositados nos herbários VIES, MBML e SP. Na APAMA foram encontradas 26 espécies distribuídas em 10 gêneros, um acréscimo de 22 espécies em relação ao Plano de Manejo da APAMA, o único inventário da flora existente para a área. Behuria mestrealvarensis, endêmica da APAMA, Bertolonia ruschiana e Leandra triantha, endêmicas do Espírito Santo, são consideradas ameaçadas de extinção. A maior riqueza de espécies foi encontrada na Floresta Ombrófila Densa Montana, com 22 espécies, das quais 18 são exclusivas deste tipo de vegetação. São apresentados chave ilustrada de identificação, descrições, comentários sobre a distribuição geográfica e estado de conservação das espécies.

Behuria mestrealvarensis (Melastomataceae) from the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, is described, illustrated and compared with B. capixaba, the species most similar to it. Behuria mestrealvarensis differs from B. capixaba by the glabrous petioles and hypanthia, by the solitary flowers or these in simple or compound triads up to 7 flowers, elliptic bracteoles almost the same size of the pedicel and hypanthium, sepals with eciliate margins and ovary apex with trichomes up to 0.5 mm. It occurs in a single locality, on an isolated, ca. 800m elev. inselberg. Due to its restricted occupancy area, fragmented landscape and poor habitat quality, this species must be considered as Critically Endangered according to IUCN criteria.

Miconia albicans (canela-de-velho) is a species widely distributed in the Cerrado. In recent years, its leaves have been commercialized for the preparation of medicinal teas. The genus Miconia is highly diverse in the Cerrado, and the high morphological similarity of the species often results in misidentification, even by specialists. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the identification of M. albicans, and its distinction from other Cerrado species with morphological similarity. In addition, a literature review of the species was performed in search of studies on potential biological and pharmacological activity. Nineteen samples of plants marketed as "canela-de-velho" and/or Miconia albicans were acquired from fairs in six municipalities in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The species were properly identified and conflicting characters were determined. Based on these characters, a survey of all species with morphological similarity in Cerrado was carried out. Thirteen species similar to M. albicans were found, and an illustrated identification key was developed. As for the review of biological activity, only M. albicans presents anti-inflammatory activity identified by one study. M. albicans and six of the 13 identified species showed cytotoxicity at high concentration levels in studies with in vitro and in vivo analyses. M. albicans accumulates aluminum in the leaves, which are the organs used to prepare the infusion. Currently, there are no clinical trials to validate the use of M. albicans as herbal medicine.  Indiscriminate use and lack of scientific evidence, besides not producing the desired results, can cause adverse effects.

We describe here Bertolonia lucernula, a new endemic species from the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. It is only known from one locality, the “Área de Proteção Ambiental Mestre Álvaro”, in the municipality of Serra. The new species can be recognized by the branches and petioles covered with sessile and short-stalked glands and scattered unbranched trichomes, flat leaf blade surfaces covered only with sessile and short-stalked glands, small flowers with a widely campanulate hypanthium covered with the same trichomes as the petioles, calyx with membranaceous, truncate sepals, and short, triangular external teeth, asymmetric and obovate petals, with the apex covered with sessile and short-stalked glands on the adaxial surface. According to IUCN criteria, Bertolonia lucernula should be classified as Critically Endangered (CR).

No abstract