Flora of Ceará state, Brazil: Oxalidaceae

Abstract

This study aimed to carry out the floristic inventory and update the geographical distribution of Oxalidaceae species that occur in Ceará state, continuing the project "Flora do Ceará". Herbaria specimens (ASE, EAC, HUEFS, RB, UFRN) and material obtained during field expeditions, from march/2012 to april/2015, were used to perform the morphological analyses, species' descriptions and distribution maps. The identifications were based on type collections and specific literature. For Ceará, fourteen species of Oxalis were recorded. The main features used to identify the species were the type of leaf, shape of leaflets and color of the flowers. Oxalis divaricata was registered in all vegetation types; O. cratensis, O. frutescens, O. glaucescens and O. juruensis var. juruensis in ombrophilous dense forest, seasonal semideciduous forest (known as "mata seca'), and stepic savannah (locally known as "carrasco") and the other species occurred preferentially in ombrophilous dense forest. Seven species were recorded in state Protected Areas.