Taxonomic study of Myrtaceae in forest fragments in Amazonian Maranhão, Brazil

Abstract

We present a taxonomic study of the Myrtaceae family in a fragmented landscape known as Amazonian Maranhão. The botanical collections were made from August 2019 to February 2020. Other collections were studied in loco at HST, IAN, IPA, MAR, MG, NY, PEUFR, and SLUI, and others online at virtual herbaria. Myrtaceae are represented in Amazonian Maranhão by 37 species. The most diverse genera are Myrcia with 16 species and Eugenia with 15 species, followed by Myrciaria and Psidium with two species each, and Campomanesia and Calycolpus with one each. Some of the species are cited here from Maranhão for the first time, and have their geographic distribution extended, including Eugenia dittocrepis, E. lambertiana, E. patens, E. patrisii, Myrcia bracteata, M. eximia, and Psidium acutangulum. A taxonomic treatment for the family in the region, with an identification key to the species, detailed descriptions and taxonomic comments for each species is presented.