Augusto César Pessôa Santiago

Diversity of ferns and lycophytes in Brazil

This compilation of ferns and lycophytes in Brazil is an update of the one published in 2010 in Catalogo de Plantas e Fungos do Brasil. The methodology consisted in collecting data from regional checklists, taxonomic revisions, and selected databases. Invited specialists improved the list accessing a website housed at the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. The results show 1,253 species: 1,111 of ferns and 142 of lycophytes. This number is 6.5% higher than the previous one (1,176 spp.). The percentage of endemic species decreased from 38.2% to 36.7%. We recognized 36 families and 133 genera (vs. 33 families, 121 genera in 2010). The 10 most diverse families are Pteridaceae (196 spp.), Dryopteridaceae (179), Polypodiaceae (164), Hymenophyllaceae (90), Thelypteridaceae (86), Aspleniaceae (78), Lycopodiaceae (64), Selaginellaceae (55), Anemiaceae (51), and Cyatheaceae (45). The three most diverse genera are still Elaphoglossum (87 spp.), Thelypteris (85), and Asplenium (74). The richest phytogeographic domain continues to be in the Atlantic Rainforest with 883 species which also has the largest number of endemic and threatened species, followed by the Amazon Rainforest (503), Cerrado (269), Pantanal (30), Caatinga (26), and Pampa (eight). Minas Gerais remains as the richest state (657 spp. vs. 580 in 2010).

As samambaias e licófitas no semiárido do Brasil

Little knowledge has been gathered on ferns and lycophytes occurring in the semi-arid region of Brazil known as the Caatinga, perhaps due to the widespread idea that a semi-arid climate would be incompatible with environmental demands of ferns and lycophytes (high humidity and shade). Ferns and lycophytes are represented in the semi-arid region of Brazil by at least 41 species, 20 genera and 11 families, distributed in the northeastern states (except Maranhao) and Minas Gerais. In this region, most of the species were recorded in moist, shaded microhabitats: cracks in rocks, ravines in shaded areas, springs, temporary lakes or areas with temporarily flooded soil. Although the majority of species recorded are widely distributed throughout Brazil, the high representation of aquatic species and low representation of epiphytes demonstrate the unique identity of the fern and lycophyte flora of the semi-arid region.

Do ferns and lycophytes function as medicinal plants? A study of their low representation in traditional pharmacopoeias

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Ethnobotany is becoming an important tool for understanding how traditional medical systems are organized and which variables affect their structure and dynamics. However, some phenomena observed in ethnobotanical studies led us to question whether such phenomena are real or methodological artifacts. The small proportion of ferns and lycophytes in ethnobotanical surveys of medicinal plants is one such phenomenon, and its causes should be identified using different approach levels. The present study aimed to clarify the reasons for a low representation of these two groups in studies of medicinal plants. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study considered the following hypotheses: 1) ferns and lycophytes are little represented in different ethnobotanical studies because of inadequate data collection methods to record these species; 2) ferns and lycophytes are little represented because of the local perception of their low therapeutic efficacy; and 3) species of ferns and lycophytes are represented in local pharmacopoeias in proportion to the size of their families. We chose rural communities from Chapada do Araripe, Northeast Brazil to test our hypotheses. Data on the medicinal plant repertoires of the communities and on the perceived therapeutic efficacy of ferns were obtained using two different methods, semi-structured interviews associated with free lists and a checklist interview, both applied to local specialists. The resulting data were analyzed differently for each test. In addition, data regarding the total flora x medicinal flora ratio were obtained with a floristic survey and accessing data banks from previous studies performed by our research team. RESULTS All hypotheses were confirmed, showing that all three factors contributed to the low representation of these plant groups as medicinal resources. The present study showed that free-list interviews are not a good method to access traditional knowledge of medicinal ferns and lycophytes and that the use of visual stimuli can help the memory of the informants, thus making it possible to associate the perceived characteristics with plant use. The results also showed that individuals perceive these plants as inferior therapeutic resources compared to angiosperms, which contributes to knowledge of their use not being transmitted. The final result of the present study was that the distribution of medicinal fern and lycophyte species within families was consistent with the total flora x medicinal flora ratio. This result indicates that even if the most appropriate data collection method was used for the ethnobotanical survey, the number of species would not be as expressive as that of angiosperms.

Richness, geographic distribution and ecological aspects of the fern community within the Murici Ecological Station in the state of Alagoas, Brazil

We conducted a floristic survey of ferns within the Murici Ecological Station (remnant of the northeastern Atlantic Forest), located near the municipalities of Messias and Murici, in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. To increase knowledge of the ferns of Alagoas, we evaluated the species occurring in the study area in terms of richness, composition, geographic distribution, similarities with species in other Brazilian biomes, regional conservation status and ecological aspects. Data were obtained from field work conducted between March 2009 and September 2010. We identified 107 species of ferns, of which 19 represent new records for Alagoas. The richest families were Pteridaceae (29 species) and Polypodiaceae (22 species). The richest genera were Adiantum (15 species) and Thelypteris (9 species). Most of the species sampled are widely distributed throughout Brazil and the Americas. Within the context of the northeastern Atlantic Forest, 12 species were considered endangered. Concerning the ecological aspects, 88.8% of the species identified were herbaceous, 57.9% were terrestrial and 70.0% occurred in the forest interior.

Florística e distribuição geográfica das samambaias e licófitas da Reserva Ecológica de Gurjaú, Pernambuco, Brasil

Resumo O presente estudo visou realizar o inventario das samambaias e licofitas da Reserva Ecologica de Gurjau (Pernambuco, Brasil) avaliando a riqueza, composicao, distribuicao geografica e raridade das especies. Foi realizado a partir do exame das colecoes dos principais herbarios do Estado e levantamento floristico com trabalho de campo. A distribuicao geografica das especies no globo e em territorio brasileiro foi baseada em dados da literatura e foram consideradas como especies raras aquelas com apenas um ou dois pontos de coleta na Floresta Atlântica Nordestina. Foram registradas duas especies pertencentes ao grupo das licofitas e 75 especies pertencentes ao grupo das samambaias, das quais 10% sao raras, no contexto da Floresta Atlântica Nordestina. As familias mais representativas foram Pteridaceae (21 especies), Thelypteridaceae (8 spp.) e Polypodiaceae (8 spp.). Os generos com maior numero de especies foram Adiantum (14 spp.) e Thelypteris (7 spp.). A maioria das especies e amplamente distribuida nos tropicos e tambem em territorio brasileiro. Palavras-chave: conservacao, Floresta Atlântica, riqueza, samambaias. Abstract This paper aimed floristic survey the ferns and lycophytes from Reserva Ecologica de Gurjau (Pernambuco, Brazil) evaluating the richness, composition, geographical distribution, and rarity of the species. The study was realized from examination the collections of major herbaria in the State and floristic survey with field work. The geographical distribution of species on the globe and in Brazilian territory was based on literature and were considered rare species as those with one or two collection points in the Northeastern Atlantic Forest. The floristic survey identified two species of lycophytes and 75 species of ferns. Among ferns, 10% were considered rare in the context of the Northeastern Atlantic Forest. The most representative families were Pteridaceae (21 species) Thelypteridaceae (8 spp.) and Polypodiaceae (8 spp.). The richest genera were Adiantum (14 spp.) and Thelypteris (7 spp.). Most species are widely distributed in the tropics and also in Brazilian territory. Key words: Atlantic Forest, conservation, ferns, richness.

Equisetum giganteum L.

Equisetum giganteum L. is a fern with numerous uses in popular medicine in Latin and Central America. In particular, it is used as a diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and astringent and to treat ophthalmologic and renal disorders. E. giganteum is also used for pest control and as a fertilizer in agriculture due to its high silicon content. It possesses antidiabetic and antifungal activities. Several compounds have been identified from this species, namely tannins, flavonoids and alkaloids.

Adiantum raddianum C. Presl.

Adiantum raddianum C. Presl. is a fern that is used in popular medicine by several ethnic groups from different South American countries. Its most common traditional uses are as an analgesic, expectorant, and diuretic, as well as for the treatment of digestive problems. In addition to its medicinal uses, it is commonly used and cultivated for ornamental purposes. Similar to other species of the genus Adiantum, the species has confirmed pharmacological activities. Some of these activities are common to other species of this genus, which indicates the presence of an interesting chemical repertoire with therapeutic applications. Among its bioactive compounds, filicene is present in high quantities. It is indicated as one of the main compounds responsible for the strong analgesic activity observed in pharmacological studies.

First record of galls in the tree fern Cyathea phalerata (Cyatheaceae) from a Tropical Rainforest in Brazil

aPrograma de Pós-graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco –UFPE, Rua Prof. Nelson Chaves, s/n, Cidade Universitária, CEP 50670-420, Recife, PE, Brazil bCentro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco – UFPE, Rua Alto do Reservatório, s/n, Bela Vista, CEP 55608-680, Vitória de Santo Antão, PE, Brazil cDepartamento de Entomologia, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, Rua Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, São Cristóvão, CEP 20940-040, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil dInstituto de Ecología – INECOL, A.C., Red de Ecología Funcional, Carretera antigua Coatepec, 91070, Xalapa, Veracruz, México

Abiotic factors drives floristic variations of fern’s metacommunity in an Atlantic Forest remnant

We analyzed floristic variations in ferns metacommunity at the local scale and their relationship with abiotic factors in an Atlantic Forest remnant of northeastern Brazil. Floristic and environmental variations were accessed on ten plots of 10 × 20 m. We performed cluster analyses, based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index to establish the floristic relationship. The influence of abiotic factors: luminosity, temperature, relative air humidity and relative soil moisture was evaluated from a redundancy analysis. We found 24 species belonging to 20 genera and 12 families. The ferns flora showed high floristic heterogeneity (>75% for most of the plots associations). The ferns metacommunity was structured along an abiotic gradient modulated by temperature, luminosity, and relative soil moisture.

Samambaias e licófitas do estado de Pernambuco, Brasil: Blechnaceae

work aims to continue the series of monographs of the families of ferns and lycophytes in the state of Pernambuco, and is concerned with the family Blechnaceae. Five species in two genera are recorded for Pernambuco (Blechnum brasiliense, B. occidentale, B. polypodioides, B. serrulatum, and Salpichlaena volubilis). Blechnum polypodioides is recorded for the first time to the state. Identification keys, descriptions and illustrations are provided, as well as taxonomic remarks and comments about geographic distribution of the species.