Famílias do clado Clusioide nas Serras do Lenheiro e São José, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Abstract

Belonging to the order Malpighiales, the Clusioid clade comprises five monophyletic families: Bonnetiaceae, Calophyllaceae, Clusiaceae, Hypericaceae, and Podostemaceae. These families exhibit high diversity in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado domains, particularly in rupestrian grasslands. This study aimed to identify and characterize the species of this clade in the Serra do Lenheiro and Serra de São José, Minas Gerais, Brazil, which are located in transitional areas between the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest domains and are characterized by rupestrian grassland vegetation. Although studies on the flora of both mountain ranges have been conducted, they remain somewhat limited. Despite previous research carried out in the Serra de São José and Serra do Lenheiro, no comprehensive taxonomic treatment of any of the families of the Clusioid clade has been available to date. The study was based on field collections, analysis of herbarium specimens, and specialized literature. Only three of the five families of the clade were confirmed to occur in the study area: Calophyllaceae, Clusiaceae, and Hypericaceae. Nine species were recorded: Calophyllum brasiliense, Kielmeyera coriacea, K. lathrophyton, K. pumila, K. variabilis, Clusia criuva, C. mexiae, Hypericum brasiliense, and Vismia brasiliensis. This work provides descriptions, identification keys, illustrations, and distribution data. The results contribute to the knowledge of the flora of rupestrian grasslands in Minas Gerais, particularly regarding groups that remain poorly studied at the local level.