Abstract Detail

Floristics & Taxonomy

Ribeiro, Rayane de Tasso Moreira [1], Orlandini, Priscila [2], Martins, Márcio Lacerda Lopes [3], Loiola, Maria Iracema Bezerra [4], Sales, Margareth Ferreira de [5].

Manihot (cassava genus) in Pernambuco state, Northeast Brazil: current overview and potential novelties.

Manihot Mill. is the fifth most numerous genus of Euphorbiaceae with 150 species within tropical distribution. In Brazil, the group represents 116 species, 101 of them being endemics to the country. Manihot esculenta Crantz is the most significant specie among Brazil, popularly known as “aipim”, “macaxeira” or “mandioca” and that has greater relevance for culture, economy and society. This species is originally from the Amazon region and elected the “21^st century food”, representing one of the most important agricultural crop in several countries. In the Brazilian Northeast, especially in Pernambuco, mandioculture plays a vital role for the socioeconomic development of the region, marked by adverse climatic conditions that can be aggravated in the context of global climate changes. Morphologically, Manihot has species with a subshrubby to shrubby habit, usually latex and cyanogenic glycosides present; persistent stipules, simple or lobed leaves; cyme with pistillate flowers dialysepalous and staminate flowers gamosepalous, and capsule fruits. This study aims to expand the understanding of the distribution, taxonomic delimitation and morphological plasticity of the representatives of Manihot occurring in Pernambuco, a Brazilian state constituted by different vegetation formations, including wet and dry areas. For this, we are conducting morphotaxonomic analysis with the study of protologues, general morphology and leaf morphometry; and conservation and distribution of Manihot representatives for the state of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. For Pernambuco, Manihot is represented by six species: Manihot baccata Allem, M. caerulescens Pohl, M. carthagenensis (Jaq.) Müll.Arg., M. dichotoma Ule, M. esculenta Crantz and Manihot glaziovii Müll.Arg., being M. dichotoma and M. glaziovii new occurrences for the state. These records of Manihot for Pernambuco are concentrated in areas of Caatinga and represents only 16% of that registered for the group in the Brazilian Northeast. However, it has been verified that this percentage is underestimated with two new potential species for the state, which were already found in the Atlantic Rainforest. Manihot is a complex group, mainly due to its high morphological diversity associated with a low collection rate in several mesoregions of Pernambuco, specially Agreste and Sertão. This study and its development is extremely necessary to subsidize genetic improvement processes with wild cassava species, making more resistant to climate change or even more nutritious. Besides, the correct delimitation of taxa under Manihot, as well as the assessment of distribution and conservation status, contributes to the elaboration of lists of species and public policies associated with the studied region.

1 - Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Departamento de Biologia, Avenida Dom Manuel de Medeiros sem número, Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco, 52.171-900, Brazil
2 - University of Campinas, Institute of Biology, 255, Monteiro Lobato, Cidade Universitária, Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brasil
3 - Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas, Campus Universitário, Centro, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, 44380-000, Brazil
4 - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Laboratório de Sistemática e Ecologia Vegetal, Avenida Mister Hull sem número, Fortaleza, Ceará, 60.440-900, Brazil
5 - Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Avenida Dom Manuel de Medeiros sem número, Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco, 52.171-900, Brasil

Keywords:
Caatinga
Morphometric approach
species richness
Taxonomy.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P2, Floristics & Taxonomy Posters
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Tuesday, July 20th, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM(EDT)
Number: P2FT003
Abstract ID:145
Candidate for Awards:None