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.

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RESUMO -Apresentamos o inventário preliminar das plantas alimentícias silvestres do Mato Grosso do Sul usadas na dieta humana ou com potencial para uso. Incluímos espécies que constam em publicações e em trabalhos inéditos dos autores, cujas coletas, realizadas no estado, estão incorporadas nos herbários CGMS, COR e CPAP. Adicionalmente, foram incluídas espécies de Arecaceae, coletadas no estado depositadas em outros Herbários e espécies dos gêneros Arachis, Dioscorea e Passifl ora que constam na Lista de Espécies da Flora do Brasil para o Mato Grosso do Sul. Foram encontradas 294 espécies, distribuídas em 160 gêneros e 67 famílias botânicas. As famílias mais ricas foram Fabaceae (49) e Myrtaceae (38), seguidas por Arecaceae (32) e Passifl oraceae (12). Esta é a primeira listagem de espécies alimentícias do estado.Palavras chaves: frutos comestíveis, Cerrado, Pantanal ABSTRACT -Preliminary list of native food plants of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil -We present a preliminary inventory of wild food plants found in Mato Grosso do Sul that are used in human diet or potentially useful. Species were compiled from publications and from data collected by the authors; specimens deposited in CGMS, COR and CPAP herbaria were also included. Additionally we included species of Arecaceae and of Arachis, Dioscorea and Passifl ora cited in the species list of Brazilian fl ora. We found a total of 294 species distributed in 160 genera and 67 families. The families with highest number of species were Fabaceae (49), Myrtaceae (38), Arecaceae (32) and Passifl oraceae (12). This is the fi rst list of edible species for Mato Grosso do Sul.

Large areas in the Pantanal wetland are covered by monodominant formations, e.g. typical landscapes with local names such as "paratudal", dominated by T. aurea. Studies on structure of these formations generally include only woody strata, consequently the species richness registered is usually low due to the absence of the 'ground layer' of herbaceous and others low species. We recorded 13 species, 12 genera and 11 families for the arboreal stratum. Considering arboreal flora without the dominant (T. aurea) individuals showed great establishment in relation to the flood level between 35 -45 cm while the individuals of the dominant species of 30 -45 cm. The diameter distribution revealed that the population of T. aurea did not show the reverse J curve, the usual pattern for species in constant regeneration, also evidenced in inconstant Licourt quotient, indicating an episodic recruitment that could lead to future changes in structure. In the herbaceous strata we recorded 78 species, included in 62 genera and 27 families. Using plots method we sampled 46 species, 40 genera and 22 families, while in line interception we found 65 species distributed in 57 genera and 26 families. The floristic similarity of Sørensen between both methods was 59.4%, with 33 species in common, and the method of line interception was more efficient in detecting richness, with 35% more species found in the same time. According to the methods of plots and line interception applied on the woody stratum, our results gave similar detailed information on the structure of this type of savanna, and in spite of being monodominant it shows high species richness when the herbaceous stratum is taken into account. Plots and line interception methods showed similar results for the woody stratum and high species richness of the herbaceous stratum.Keywords: line interception method, plot method, wetland, paratudal, pantanal. Estrutura do estrato arbóreo e herbáceo em uma savana neotropical monodominante sazonalmente inundada de Tabebuia aurea ResumoAmplas áreas no Pantanal são cobertas por formações monodominantes, tipicamente com nomes locais como "paratudal" dominado por Tabebuia aurea. Estudos na estrutura dessas formações geralmente incluem somente estrato arbóreo, consequentemente, a riqueza de espécies detectada geralmente é baixa devido à ausência do "estrato terrestre" das herbáceas e outras poucas espécies. Nós registramos 13 espécies, 12 gêneros e 11 famílias para o estrato arbóreo. Considerando a flora arbórea sem a espécie dominante (T. aurea) apresentaram um ótimo de estabelecimento em relação ao nível de inundação entre 35 -45cm, enquanto os indíviduos da espécie dominante de 30 -45cm. A distribuição diamétrica revelou que a população de T. aurea não apresentou o J reverso, o modelo usual para espécies em constante regeneração, também evidenciado pela não constante no quoeficiente de Licourt. Indicando episódio de recrutamento que poderia levar a futuras mudanças na estrutura. Para o estrato herbáceo geral registramos 78 espécies, ...