Flora of Ceará, Brazil: Vitaceae

Abstract We examined here the diversity and distribution of Vitaceae species in Ceará state, Brazil, as part of the “Flora of Ceará Project: knowing to conserve”, analyzing the morphological characters of specimens collected in the field, those available in the ALCB, BHCB, EAC, CEN, EAFM, HCDAL, HST, HUEFS, HUVA, HVASF, IAN, IPA, K, MBM, MOSS, NY, P, R, UEC, and US herbaria or in the specialized literature. We include here an identification key, occurrence maps, morphological descriptions, and comments concerning their ecology. The main morphological features for species delimiting were leaf type and symmetry, trichome and tendril types, presence or absence of streaks on branches, stipule, flower bud and fruit shape. Eleven species of Vitaceae included within two genera were recorded in Ceará: Cissus albida, C. blanchetiana, C. campestris, C. erosa, C. gongylodes, C. subrhomboidea, C. sulcicaulis, C. tinctoria, C. verticillata, C. xerophila, and Clematicissus simsiana. The species were registered in 45 municipalities, with C. erosa and C. verticillata being widely distributed. Those species inhabit different phytoecological areas in Ceará, although preferentially growing in Stepic Savanna (Caatinga). Six species occur in nine legally protected conservation areas. Ceará state holds 40.74% of the registered species of the family found in northeastern Brazil.