Morfoanatomia e taxonomia de Micropholis Griseb. (Pierre) (Sapotaceae, Chrysophylloideae) no Brasil

Abstract

Sapotaceae is a pantropical family, consisting of about 1.343 species subordinate to 60 genera, organized in the subfamilies Chrysophylloideae, Sapotoideae and Sarcospermatoideae. Represented by approximately38 species, Micropholis is the sixth largest genus of Chrysophylloideae. About 75% of this diversity is present in Brazil, mainly in the Amazon region. Micropholis is recognized for its leaves with secondary veins, often closely parallel, however, it has complex taxonomy due to the overlapping of morphological characters between species, which makes it difficult to delimit and makes it promising for botanical studies. In this sense, the present thesis aimed to update the taxonomic diversity, richness pattern and geographic distribution of Micropholis in Brazil, as well as to verify if the leaf morphology of the genus provides new diagnostic characters for identification of the species based on the analysis of specimens collected in the field and specimens from national herbariums. The results are presented in the form of three scientific articles: (1) In the Micropholis synopsis for Brazil, in which 28 species are recognized, updated descriptions and a new diagnostic key for species recognition are presented. New occurrences were recorded, and the wealth analysis showed that the South of Bahia is a priority area for the conservation of Micropholis outside the Amazon. Additionally, M. egensis, M. crassipedicellata and M. cylindrocarpa, were found in the phytogeographic domains of the Cerrado, Caatinga and Atlantic forest, respectively, records previously unknown. Unpublished illustrations are also presented. (2) The second chapter shows the taxonomic importance of leaf morphoanatomy for the interspecific and infra-specific delimitation in Micropholis. (3) The last chapter uses anatomical, geographical and taxonomic data to support the synonimization of Micropholis compta Pierre under Micropholis gardneriana (A.DC.) Pierre, a morphologically variable species with a wide geographical distribution.