Floristic composition of an inselberg in the semi-arid of Paraíba state, Brazilian Northeast

Abstract

This work aimed to catalogue the vascular flora of an inselberg in the municipality of Patos, state of Paraíba, Brazil and recognise the distribution of the tree species in different altitude classes. The study was developed in the rocky outcrop locally known as Morro do Carioca. Botanical collections were held monthly for 18 months. For identification of taxa, specialized bibliographies, image guides, specialized sites and specialists were consulted. There were 120 species, distributed in 101 genera and 46 families, with being Fabaceae the most representative (21 species), followed by Euphorbiaceae (11 spp.), Convolvulaceae (nine spp.) and Malvaceae (eight spp.). The predominant habit was shrub (35 species), followed by Subshrub (29 spp.), herbaceous (29 spp.), climber (14 spp.) and arboreal (13 spp.). There were also 17 endemic Caatinga species. The most representative altitude classes were the Base - 250-291 m (four spp.) and the Outcrops as a whole (four spp.). The richness recorded in the outcrop studied is equivalent to that recorded for other rocky outcrops in the semi-arid region of Brazil.