A tribo Paspaleae (Poaceae - Panicoideae) na Estação Ecológica Do Panga, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Abstract

The family Poaceae (Gramineae) has great ecological and economic importance, due to its dominance in several ecosystems and its use in food for humans and animals. Some of the most cultivated plants in the world belong to this family, such as wheat, rice, corn, and sugarcane. The tribe Paspaleae includes about 39 genera and 597 species and constitutes one of the main grass tribes of the Cerrado. The Cerrado is the largest, the most diverse and the most threatened tropical savanna in the world. It is a very fragmented biome, with only 0.85% of its original extension being protected in federal and state conservation units. The Triângulo Mineiro is included in the Cerrado biome and the intense activity in the agribusiness sector has put the conservation of the region's natural environments at risk. Therefore, this region is considered of extreme biological importance and a priority conservation area. The Estação Ecológica do Panga (EEP) is one of the main conservation units in the Triângulo Mineiro/Alto Paranaíba, representing one of the last large remnants of Cerrado in the region. The purpose of this work was to carry out a survey of the species of the tribe Paspaleae in the EEP. An analysis of exsiccates of the tribe Paspaleae collected at EEP and deposited in the HUFU herbarium was carried out, as well as a literature review of works referring to morphology, taxonomy, nomenclature, phenology, and geographic distribution of the species under study. In addition, brief descriptions of the genera and species of Paspaleae confirmed for the EEP were prepared, as well as identification keys for all taxa. From that, the occurrence of 32 species of the tribe Paspaleae in EEP was confirmed, belonging to 13 genera. Paspalum, with 15 species, was the genus that presented the highest species richness, followed by Axonopus, with 5 species, and Arthropogon, with 2 species. The genera Anthaenantiopsis, Anthenantia, Echinolaena, Hildaea, Homolepis, Ocellochloa, Oedochloa, Otachyrium, Rugoloa and Steinchisma presented only one species each. All species found are native to Brazil, and Arthropogon filifolius, Axonopus comans, and Homolepis glutinosa are endemic species in the country.