ABSTRACT Notothylas vitalii is an endemic Brazilian hornwort species, easily identified by the absence of pseudoelaters and columella, and the presence of yellow spores. Plant material was collected in Recife, Brazil, and the spores were sown onto Knop’s medium, germinating after thirty days only with the presence of light. Germination occurred outside the exospore, and only after the walls had separated into three or four sections did a globose sporeling initiate its development. Following longitudinal and transversal divisions, the initial loose mass of cells became a thalloid gametophyte, subsequently developing into a rosette-like juvenile thallus with flattened lobes. Additional information concerning sporeling types in key genera of hornworts, such as Folioceros and Phymatoceros, will be crucial for inferring the possible ancestral type and the evolution of this trait among hornworts. Our study supports the necessity of supplementary studies on sporeling development, combined with morphological and phylogenetic investigations, to help elucidate the evolution of the Anthocerotophyta and their distribution patterns.

We conducted a floristic survey of ferns within the Murici Ecological Station (remnant of the northeastern Atlantic Forest), located near the municipalities of Messias and Murici, in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. To increase knowledge of the ferns of Alagoas, we evaluated the species occurring in the study area in terms of richness, composition, geographic distribution, similarities with species in other Brazilian biomes, regional conservation status and ecological aspects. Data were obtained from field work conducted between March 2009 and September 2010. We identified 107 species of ferns, of which 19 represent new records for Alagoas. The richest families were Pteridaceae (29 species) and Polypodiaceae (22 species). The richest genera were Adiantum (15 species) and Thelypteris (9 species). Most of the species sampled are widely distributed throughout Brazil and the Americas. Within the context of the northeastern Atlantic Forest, 12 species were considered endangered. Concerning the ecological aspects, 88.8% of the species identified were herbaceous, 57.9% were terrestrial and 70.0% occurred in the forest interior.

Resumo O presente estudo visou realizar o inventário das samambaias e licófitas da Reserva Ecológica de Gurjaú (Pernambuco, Brasil) avaliando a riqueza, composição, distribuição geográfica e raridade das espécies. Foi realizado a partir do exame das coleções dos principais herbários do Estado e levantamento florístico com trabalho de campo. A distribuição geográfica das espécies no globo e em território brasileiro foi baseada em dados da literatura e foram consideradas como espécies raras aquelas com apenas um ou dois pontos de coleta na Floresta Atlântica Nordestina. Foram registradas duas espécies pertencentes ao grupo das licófitas e 75 espécies pertencentes ao grupo das samambaias, das quais 10% são raras, no contexto da Floresta Atlântica Nordestina. As famílias mais representativas foram Pteridaceae (21 espécies), Thelypteridaceae (8 spp.) e Polypodiaceae (8 spp.). Os gêneros com maior número de espécies foram Adiantum (14 spp.) e Thelypteris (7 spp.). A maioria das espécies é amplamente distribuída nos trópicos e também em território brasileiro.

Abstract This paper aimed floristic survey the ferns and lycophytes from Reserva Ecológica de Gurjaú (Pernambuco, Brazil) evaluating the richness, composition, geographical distribution, and rarity of the species. The study was realized from examination the collections of major herbaria in the State and floristic survey with field work. The geographical distribution of species on the globe and in Brazilian territory was based on literature and were considered rare species as those with one or two collection points in the Northeastern Atlantic Forest. The floristic survey identified two species of lycophytes and 75 species of ferns. Among ferns, 10% were considered rare in the context of the Northeastern Atlantic Forest. The most representative families were Pteridaceae (21 species) Thelypteridaceae (8 spp.) and Polypodiaceae (8 spp.). The richest genera were Adiantum (14 spp.) and Thelypteris (7 spp.). Most species are widely distributed in the tropics and also in Brazilian territory.