Flora of Ceará, Brazil: Begoniaceae

Abstract

We present the floristic survey of Begoniaceae in the state of Ceará, as part of the project Flora of Ceará: knowing to conserve. The study was based on the analysis of morphological characters of specimens deposited in the herbaria ALCB, EAC, HUEFS, HUVA, MBM, MBML, RBR and SP, supplemented with specialized bibliography and analysis of type-collection images. Begoniaceae is represented in Ceará by four species of genus Begonia: B. convolvulacea, B. humilis, B. reniformis e B. saxicola. The species occur preferentially in dense rainforest, but are also found in dry, deciduous forest. The moist-forest enclaves of the state concentrate the greatest species richness. All species were recorded in Conservation Units (four) in Ceará.