Rosana Conrado Lopes

The Ethnobotany of Herreria montevidensis Klotzsch ex Griseb. - Herreriaceae, in Corumbá, Brazil

departamento de Ciencias do Ambiente, Campus de Corumba, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Avenida Rio Branco, no. 1270, CEP 79304-902, Caixa Postal 252, Corumba, MS, Brazil 2Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941-490, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil 3Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciencias Biologicas e da Saude, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Caixa Postal 549, CEP 79070900, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil *Corresponding author; e-mail: iedamaria@terra.com.br

Hippeastrum species in areas of restinga in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: pollen characters

The order Asparagales comprises 14 families, five of which occur in Brazil. Amaryllidaceae is a family of economic relevance and includes numerous ornamental genera. The genus Hippeastrum is widely distributed in Brazil and comprises 34 species, 11 of which occur in areas of restinga (coastal woodland) and Atlantic Forest in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The morphology of Hippeastrum has not been extensively studied in Brazil, where only a few systematic floristic surveys have been carried out with native species. In field studies and reviews of herbarium collections, we identified five Hippeastrum species occurring in areas of restinga in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The five species identified could be distinguished according to the following palynological characteristics: pollen grain size, polarity, pollen units, shape, aperture (number and type), exine sculpture, colpus length and pattern of sexine ornamentation. Of the five species identified, Hippeastrum aulicum Herb. and H. glaucescens (Ker Gawl.) Herb. were not identified in the field. Among the three species that were found in the field, H. striatum had the widest distribution in the study area, whereas the distribution of H. reticulatum was restricted to a single area of restinga, in the Jacone district of the municipality of Saquarema. Through palynological examinations of specimens from herbaria in the state of Rio de Janeiro, we were able to confirm the identity of all five species of Hippeastrum studied. Our data represent a relevant contribution to increasing knowledge of this plant group in the region and will aid in future conservation efforts.

A New Species of Clara (Herreriaceae) from Brazil

Abstract A new species, Clara gracilis (Herreriaceae), endemic to the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, is described and compared to the closely related C. ophiopogonoides. A key for separating the three species of the genus is presented, with a map of their geographic distribution, as well as detailed illustrations of the new species.

Cytotoxicity and anti-Leishmania amazonensis activity of Citrus sinensis leaf extracts

Abstract Context: Leishmania amazonensis is the main agent of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis, a disease characterized by lesional polymorphism and the commitment of skin surface. Previous reports demonstrated that the Citrus genus possess antimicrobial activity. Objective: This study evaluated the anti-L. amazonensis activity of Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck (Rutaceae) extracts. Materials and methods: Citrus sinensis dried leaves were subjected to maceration with hexane (CH), ethyl acetate (CEA), dichloromethane/ethanol (CD/Et – 1:1) or ethanol/water (CEt/W – 7:3). Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes were treated with C. sinensis extracts (1–525 μg/mL) for 120 h at 27 °C. Ultrastructure alterations of treated parasites were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. Cytotoxicity of the extracts was assessed on RAW 264.7 and J774.G8 macrophages after 48-h treatment at 37 °C using the tetrazolium assay. In addition, Leishmania-infected macrophages were treated with CH and CD/Et (10–80 μg/mL). Results: CH, CD/Et and CEA displayed antileishmanial activity with 50% inhibitory activity (IC50) of 25.91 ± 4.87, 54.23 ± 3.78 and 62.74 ± 5.04 μg/mL, respectively. Parasites treated with CD/Et (131.2 μg/mL) presented severe alterations including mitochondrial swelling, lipid body formation and intense cytoplasmic vacuolization. CH and CD/Et demonstrated cytotoxic effects similar to that of amphotericin B in the anti-amastigote assays (SI of 2.16, 1.98 and 1.35, respectively). Triterpene amyrins were the main substances in CH and CD/Et extracts. In addition, 80 μg/mL of CD/Et reduced the number of intracellular amastigotes and the percentage of infected macrophages in 63% and 36%, respectively. Conclusion: The results presented here highlight C. sinensis as a promising source of antileishmanial agents.

Pollen morphology of species of Cissus (Vitaceae): an evaluation of ornamentation

ABSTRACT Cissus (Vitaceae) occurs naturally in all states of Brazil and others countries of South America. This work was realized out the analysis of morphological characteristics of pollen of 30 Brazilian species. The pollen grains were processed with lactic acetolysis method to be measured, described and illustrated in light microscopy and non-acetolysed for analysis in scanning electron microscopy. Statistically the species were identified using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). As a result it was observed that pollen grains are medium in most species, 3-colporate. The ornamentation of the sexine varied and was an important character in the delimitation of species. We was concluded that the attributes of pollen distinguish most of the taxa of the genus, thus confirming the heterogeneity of pollen. It is hoped that his study contributes to a better understanding of the taxonomy of the genus and provides data for future phylogenetic analysis.

Flora do Rio de Janeiro: Molluginaceae

This work aims to contribute to the Flora of Molluginaceae from Rio de Janeiro state. It is based on the analysis of herbarium specimens and fieldwork, as well as on the relevant literature. Two genera and three species were recorded: Glinus and Mollugo. Descriptions and comments, besides data on habitat and geographical distribution of the species are provided.

Flora do Rio de Janeiro: Asparagaceae

This work aims to contribute to the Flora of Asparagaceae from Rio de Janeiro State. It is based on the analysis of herbarium specimens and fieldwork, a s well as on the relevant literature. Two genera and three species were recorded: Furcraea foetida, Herreria glaziovii e H. salsaparilha. Descriptions and comments, besides data on habitat and geographical distribution of the species are provided.

Flora do Rio de Janeiro: Aizoaceae

O presente estudo tem como objetivo contribuir para o conhecimento das especies de Aizoaceae ocorrentes no estado do Rio de Janeiro. O trabalho tem como base a analise de colecoes depositadas em herbarios e coletas de campo, alem da consulta a dados de literatura. Foi registrada uma especies: Sesuvium portulacastrum. Sao apresentadas descricoes, comentarios, alem de dados sobre habitat e distribuicao geografica da especie.

Vascular epiphytes in the Grumari restinga, RJ: floristic and similarities between restingas in Eastern Brazil

Abstract The community of vascular epiphytes in the Grumari restinga, Rio de Janeiro state, was evaluated through surveys carried out in 2014 and supplemented with herbarium material and publications. Thirty-seven (37) vascular epiphyte species were recorded, distributed in 21 genera and six families. The richest families are Orchidaceae and Bromeliaceae, which are the most representative ones (67.6% of all record species). The richness in Grumari restinga is greater than the other inventories carried out in the coastal plain of the Southeastern Region of Brazil, however, lower than that of restingas for Sao Paulo, Parana and of the coastal plain of Rio Grande do Sul. The most representative ecological category was the characteristic holoepiphyte (62%); it was followed by the facultative and accidental holoepiphytes (18% each). The Grumari restinga shares more species with Espirito Santo state and Rio de Janeiro than with Sao Paulo and Southern Region of Brazil, possibly due to the geographical distance. Our study provides the first contribution to the knowledge about the epiphytic flora in Grumari