Liliana Essi

New Combinations Within the Briza Complex (Poaceae, Pooideae, Poeae)

Abstract.  Briza L. (Poaceae, Pooideae, Poeae) is a genus with a controversial circumscription, being either considered sensu lato, including Eurasian and South American species (e.g., Longhi-Wagner, 1987), or sensu stricto, including only four Eurasian species and being considered closely related to the South American species, forming the Briza complex (Matthei, 1975). According to recent phylogenetic analysis, Briza should be accepted sensu stricto, with four Eurasian species, as proposed by Matthei (1975) and other authors. The American species, which were previously published under Briza s.l. or under the genera Calotheca Desv., Chascolytrum Desv., Erianthecium Parodi, Gymnachne Parodi, Lombardochloa Roseng. & B. R. Arrill., Microbriza Parodi ex Nicora & Rúgolo, Poidium Nees, and Rhombolytrum Link, should be included within Chascolytrum, the oldest generic name published for the American species of the complex. As a result, the following 13 new combinations are proposed in Chascolytrum: C. ambiguum (Hack.) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies, C. bidentatum (Roseng., B. R. Arrill. & Izag.) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies, C. brachychaetum (Ekman) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies, C. brasiliense (Nees ex Steud.) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies, C. brizoides (Lam.) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies, C. bulbosum (Parodi) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies, C. calotheca (Trin.) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies, C. itatiaiae (Ekman) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies, C. koelerioides (Trin.) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies, C. monandrum (Hack.) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies, C. poomorphum (J. Presl) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies, C. rhomboideum (Link) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies, and C. uniolae (Nees) Essi, Longhi-Wagner & Souza-Chies. The names Poa koelerioides Trin., Poa tumidula Steud., Poidium brasiliense Nees ex Steud., and Rhombolytrum berteroanum E. Desv. are lectotypified.

Three new taxa of Chascolytrum (Poaceae, Pooideae, Poeae) from South America.

Abstract Two new species and one new variety of Chascolytrum Desv. (Poaceae) are described and illustrated. Chascolytrum latifolium Essi, Souza-Chies & Longhi-Wagner and C. juergensii var. angustilemma Essi, Souza-Chies & Longhi-Wagner occur in the southern Brazilian highlands, while C. altimontanum Essi, Souza-Chies & Longhi-Wagner occurs in the Bolivian highlands. Chascolytrum latifolium is related to C. subaristatum (Lam.) Desv., but differs mainly by the wider leaf blades and by some characteristics of the palea. Chascolytrum altimontanum is related to C. paleapiliferum (Parodi) Matthei and C. subaristatum, the main differences being the presence of flattened trichomes at the lemma base and the shape of the spikelets. Specimens of all these new taxa were included in a parallel molecular analysis, with the results supporting the new taxa as genetically divergent from the closest morphologically related species. In addition, Briza juergensii Hack. is transferred to Chascolytrum for the new combination C. juergensii (Hack.) Essi, Souza-Chies & Longhi-Wagner.

THE STUDY OF BIODIVERSITY AND PLANT EVOLUTION THROUGH MOLECULAR MARKERS AND CYTOGENETICS: EXAMPLES IN IRIDACEAE AND POACEAE.

We present here a review of the use of molecular markers and cytogenetic data, applied to the detection of plant biodiversity. We mentioned a few examples o...

O conhecimento da biodiversidade: um estudo de caso com estudantes de graduação de uma universidade brasileira

A motivacao para a conservacao de especies esta muito relacionada ao conhecimento popular sobre a biodiversidade, o qual se acredita que venha sendo erodido ao longo das geracoes. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar o conhecimento da populacao jovem, representada por alunos de graduacao de diversos cursos de uma universidade brasileira, sobre a biodiversidade do Brasil. Para tal, foram apresentadas a estudantes de graduacao fotos de especies, solicitando que os mesmos indicassem se as conheciam, atraves de um questionario que foi preenchido ao longo de uma apresentacao das imagens. Os dados obtidos foram utilizados como subsidio para elaboracao de material de divulgacao sobre biodiversidade (blog). Os resultados mostraram que os estudantes em geral possuem um baixo conhecimento acerca da biodiversidade brasileira, e que estudantes de cursos com mais contato com temas ambientais ou com vivencia em zona rural tendem a conhecer melhor as especies nativas. Tambem se observou que o conhecimento de especies animais e em geral superior ao conhecimento de especies vegetais, sendo algumas especies exoticas mais conhecidas pelos entrevistados do que especies nativas. Conclui-se que e de extrema importância que a tematica biodiversidade seja mais trabalhada tanto na educacao formal quanto informal.

Permanent preservation areas and legal reserve: an experience in environmental education with farming families

Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs) and Legal Reserve (RL) are areas protected by the Brazilian Forest Code that play an important role in environmental conservation. Environmental awareness activities were conducted in the Settlements Potreiro Bonito and Terra Nova, located in the City of Palmeira das Missoes-RS, to promote and expand the exchange of knowledge about APP and RL, and to encourage the conservation and recovery of these areas. The mobilization of settlers for participation in activities was performed with the aid of EMATER Palmeira das Missoes and the activities consisted of lectures, questions, exchange of experiences and distribution of tree seedlings. It was observed that producers recognize the importance of preserving the APPs and RLs, however, do not feel motivated to conserve such areas, because they perceive protected areas as areas economically inactive. This dissonance between the recognition of the importance of preserving the APPs in theory, and the concern of the loss of agricultural area in practice, highlights the importance of continued investment in environmental education, primarily through projects and long-term programs, to arouse the interest of the settlers on participate directly in a production process in harmony with the environment.