Verbenaceae J.St.-Hil. no Parque Estadual do Rio Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Abstract

Verbenaceae is an important component of the Brazilian flora, with a high concentration of species and endemism in the campos rupestres and Cerrado vegetation of the Espinhaço Range. This study aimed to provide a taxonomic treatment of Verbenaceae for Rio Preto State Park (PERP) as part of a broader project focused on the taxonomic knowledge and conservation of the family in protected areas of Minas Gerais. PERP covers an area of 12,184 ha and is located in the municipality of São Gonçalo do Rio Preto, on the Diamantina Plateau, in the Upper Jequitinhonha region. Elevation ranges from 750 to 1,822 m, with Pico Dois Irmãos being the highest point. The vegetation consists of a mosaic of phytophysiognomies in the transition zone between the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest domains, with campos rupestres interspersed with savanna and forest formations. Eight field expeditions were carried out between April 2023 and May 2024, during both the dry and rainy seasons, in addition to analyses of physical collections and virtual herbaria. The collected material was deposited in the Leopoldo Krieger Herbarium of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (CESJ). Twenty species of Verbenaceae were recorded, belonging to the genera Lippia L. (11 spp.), Stachytarpheta Vahl (6 spp.), and Lantana L. (3 spp.): Lantana fucata, L. glaziovii, L. lundiana, Lippia hederifolia, L. hermannioides, L. lacunosa, L. lupulina, L. neodiamantinensis, L. origanoides, L. pohliana, L. pseudothea, L. raoniana, L. rhodocnemis, L. rotundifolia, Stachytarpheta diamantinensis, S. glabra, S. itambensis, S. mexiae, S. reticulata, and S. vianae. Lantana fucata and Lippia origanoides are widely distributed throughout the Neotropics, whereas Lantana lundiana, Lippia lacunosa, and Lippia lupulina occur more broadly in South America. All remaining species are endemic to Brazil, with L. pseudothea, L. raoniana, L. rhodocnemis, Stachytarpheta diamantinensis, S. glabra, S. itambensis, S. mexiae, and S. reticulata restricted to the state of Minas Gerais, while S. vianae is endemic to PERP. The richness of Verbenaceae in PERP is remarkable, especially when compared with other protected areas on the Diamantina Plateau and throughout the Espinhaço Range in Minas Gerais. Most species recorded in PERP have a restricted distribution within the protected area, and six are included in some threat category. The specimens identified in this study as Stachytarpheta reticulata are still under taxonomic evaluation because they exhibit morphological characteristics of Stachytarpheta irwinii Moldenke, currently treated as a synonym of S. reticulata.