Abarema (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae) in the Atlantic Domain, Brazil

Abstract

The genus Abarema belongs to the tribe Ingeae (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae) and comprises about 50 neotropical species. The genus has a high diversity of species in Amazonia (c. 35 species), and the Atlantic Domain is the second richest biome. This article presents a taxonomic treatment for the Atlantic species (eastern Brazil) of Abarema. Nine species occur in ombrophilous dense forest, coastal scrub and campos rupestres ('rocky fields'). Endemic species are centred in southeast and northeast Brazil, agreeing with the general patterns described for the Atlantic forest hotspot. Some species represent links between the Atlantic flora and other Brazilian biomes, such as the Amazon and cerrado. Descriptions, illustrations and a key for identification are presented, and a new synonym is proposed. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London.