No abstract

O projeto Flora Fanerogâmica do Estado de São Paulo tem se dedicado a inventariar a flora paulistana há quase 20 anos. Conta com a atuação de mais de 200 colaboradores, a maioria do próprio estado, além de pesquisadores de outros estados e do exterior. Desde 2001, foram publicados sete volumes com as monografias de 151 famílias, contendo 3.237 espécies em 722 gêneros. Este projeto foi o ponto de partida para o conhecimento da diversidade das espécies de espermatófitas do estado de São Paulo. A apresentação do checklist neste momento é oportuna por constituir a produção de uma listagem das espécies com identificações certificadas pelos especialistas, além de conter a referência de uma coleção de herbário para a maior parte dos táxons (material-testemunho) ou referência à bibliografia em que a espécie é citada como ocorrente, de forma nativa ou subespontânea, no estado. Dessa forma, é aqui apresentada a listagem das espermatófitas do estado de São Paulo, com 7.305 espécies, distribuídas em 1.776 gêneros e em 197 famílias (segundo Cronquist 1981) ou então 195 (segundo o APG III). Em relação à flora do Brasil, com 31.728 espécies de espermatófitas, o estado São Paulo compartilha de 23% dessas espécies. As famílias mais representativas são Orchidaceae (797 espécies), Asteraceae (676 espécies), Fabaceae (513 espécies), Poaceae (500 espécies), Myrtaceae (304), Rubiaceae (265 espécies) e Melastomataceae (253 espécies) que, juntas, somam 3.308 espécies e constituem mais de 45% do total de espécies de espermatófitas do estado. Considerando a grande diversidade vegetal brasileira, parcialmente expressa em um estado, depreende-se a grande importância da continuidade dos estudos florísticos no Brasil, país provavelmente detentor da maior diversidade vegetal do planeta.

The shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora.

Melochia occurs in the Southeast Region of Brazil, comprising ten species and two varieties, which corresponds to about 50% of the Brazilian species. The genus is mainly distributed in the Cerrado. This study provides a taxonomic treatment including an identification key, illustrations, comments on morphology, habitat, geographical data and conservation status. Some species cited for the region, but not found in the present research are referenced with additional notes. Also, a new status (Melochia regnellii), a lectotypification, five new records for the Southeast Region, and a Scanning Electron Microscopy study (unpublished for the genus) are here presented.

-(Synopsis of Hibiscus L. (Malvoideae, Malvaceae) in São Paulo State, Brazil: native and ornamental species). This taxonomic treatment of Hibiscus was based on an analysis of more than 100 specimens from herbaria in São Paulo State and of material collected by the authors. The genus is represented by six native species and eight cultivated species for ornamental purposes. The native species are distributed in swampy areas of Atlantic rain forest and Cerrado, while the cultivated species are found in squares, public areas, parks, and private and public gardens. Identification key, illustrations, data on geographic distribution, and comments on morphology and taxonomy of the species are presented. Hibiscus urticifolius A. St.Hil & Naudin is reported for the first time for São Paulo State.