Ficus subg. Pharmacosycea sect. Pharmacosycea (Moraceae) do Brasil

Abstract

Ficus sect. Pharmacosycea is characterized by terrestrial trees, monoecious, without adventitious roots, bitter latex, entire leaves, with two basal glands, usually a syconium per axilla, circular ostiole, staminate and styled flowers dispersed in the receptacle and two stamens. Field works were carried out in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest, as well as consultations in herbarium collections in Brazil, United States and Europe. In Brazil there are 10 species mainly in Região Norte, Centro-Oeste, Sudeste and Sul, and rare in Nordeste: Ficus adhatodifolia, F. crassivenosa, F. ernanii, F. insipida, F. maxima, F. maximoides, F. obtusiuscula, F. pulchella, F. ulei and F. vermifuga. Among these species, F. maximoides is being cited for the first time in Brazil and F. ulei and F. vermifuga names are being used in species circunscription again (they were synonymous). The present work also proposes one neotype for Ficus helminthagoga and lectotype for Pharmacosycea perforata var. angustifolia.