Checklist of the flora of the restingas of Piauí state, Northeast Brazil

Abstract

Sandy coastal plain vegetation (Restinga) is composed of communities of plants that grow on Quaternary Neosols along the entire extension of the Brazilian coast. The state of Piauí has a coastal extension of 66 km and is entirely located in the semi-arid zone of Northeastern Brazil. This study catalogued the phanerogam species found along the coast of the state of Piauí, the data of which was compiled from surveys in online databases and literature, and herbarium collections. A total of 363 species distributed among 235 genera, and 74 families were identified. The families with the greatest number of species included Fabaceae (108 species), Euphorbiaceae (19), Amaranthaceae (13), Apocynaceae (12), Cyperaceae (12), Rubiaceae (12), Bignoniaceae (11), Malvaceae (11) and Poaceae (11) and represent over 57.6% of the species collected. Approximately 87% of the species were common to other restinga areas in Northeastern Brazil, and ca. 13% were restricted to the coast of the state of Piauí.