"Cyperaceae Juss. from Serra dos Martírios-Andorinhas, São Geraldo do Araguaia, Pará state"
“Cerrado”, Cyperoideae, Mapanioideae, Taxonomy
The Serra dos Martírios-Andorinhas State Park (PESAM) and São Geraldo do Araguaia Environmental Protection Area (APA Araguaia - buffer zone of environmental impact for PESAM) were the first conservation areas designed in Pará state, creating an important protected area complex, being primary to the conservation of the Cerrado biome. This complex is located in the São Geraldo do Araguaia municipality, southeast of the Pará state, deforestation arc zone, where there is an increase in agriculture and grazing activities. More detailed floristic and taxonomic studies about the PESAM and APA Araguaia flora must be carried out in order to contribute to the management of these conservation units. The only floristic survey published (2008) for PESAM illustrates a herb layer predominance, with a dominance of Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Cyperaceae. Cyperaceae is cosmopolitan with ca. 5.690 species well distributed in nearly every terrestrial and aquatic environments. Although its wide distribution and a high number of species, the representativeness is relatively low on the herbarium collections, mainly from PESAM and APA Araguaia. This proposal aims to carry out the survey and taxonomic study the Cyperaceae genera and species occurring in PESAM and APA Araguaia, aiming to contribute for the flora knowledge of these important conservation units and of this family to the Pará state. The botanical material used must be from expeditions to collect and consultation of the main regional herbaria collections (MG, IAN, HBRA, HCJS, HSTM, and MFS) and others that have representative collections from the study area (such as UB, RB, INPA). The taxa will be determined based on the specialized literature, and consultation to the original specimens and type. After two collecting expeditions to Serra dos Martírios-Andorinhas, and consultation to the herbaria collections HBRA, IAN, MFS and MG, 11 Cyperaceae genera and 66 species have been identified at present, with a new occurrence for the Pará state. Identification keys, descriptions, geographic distribution data, habitat, and illustrations of Cyperaceae species and genera occurring in PESAM and APA Araguaia will be presented, contributing to a better knowledge of the regional and Brazilian Flora.