Diversidade de Convolvulaceae Juss. no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

Abstract

Convolvulaceae Juss. has 59 genera and about 1900 species, with cosmopolitan distribution. Usually herbaceous plants, rarely tress or leafless parasites (Cuscuta); with alternate leaves, simple or compound; inflorescenses cymoses, racemoses or thyrses; cálix 5-merous, sepals free; corola actinomorphic, 5-merous, commonly funnel-shaped, with conspicuous midpetaline-bands; stamens are included or not; ovary superior; a simple style, two distinct styles, or gynobasic; stigma is variously divided or swollen; fruit tipically a capsule; seeds usually 4, with presence or absence of hairs. Presents various species with economic and ecological importance, that evidence the family’s potential for realization of researches. In Brazil, 24 genera and 411 species occur and Rio Grande do Norte (RN) state is identified as an important gap in taxonomic studies about Convolvulaceae in Brazil.This project aimed to study the most representative genus of Convolvulaceae and investigate this family in Área de Proteção Ambiental Jenipabu. For this, a bibliographical survey was carried out, consultation to herbaria, field expeditions, specimens identification, analysis and interpretation of the data.This dissertation is structured in three chapters: 1-“The Rediscovery of Ipomoea macedoi (Convolvulaceae)”, article published in the journal Phytotaxa. 2- “O gênero Ipomoea no estado do Rio Grande do Norte”, with 33 species, being 8 new occurrences, to be submitted in the journal Biota Neotrópica; and 3- “Convolvulaceae na APA Jenipabu, Rio Grande do Norte”, an area included in atlantic forest domain, with 9 species and 5 genera, to be submitted in the journal Rodriguésia. This study revised identities, registered new occurrences, and pointed out species before listed but not found in this inventory. The characters taxonomically more informative to delimitation of species were the indumentum, habit, morfology of leaves, sepals and gynoecium. This study has fund of the project: “Convolvulaceae da América do Sul: construir em direção ao conhecimento global.”, financed by CNPQ.