Abstract
Floristic studies dedicated to non-self-supporting plants (lianas and epiphytes) made possible a better understanding of the contribution of these plants to the species richness and diversity of tropical forests. However, in Brazil, floristic studies on lianas are still rare. This study aimed at characterizing the floristic composition of lianas and their climbing mechanisms in a seasonal semideciduous forest in the Caetetus Ecological Station in southeastern Brazil, and providing identification keys to families and species of this forest fragment. We found 74 species belonging to 19 families, of which Bignoniaceae (25 spp.) is the most representative, followed by Sapindaceae (11 spp.), Apocynaceae (7 spp.), Malpighiaceae (7 spp.), and Fabaceae (6 spp.). As regards the attachment mechanisms, gripping was the most frequent (observed on 57% of the species). Based on our results, as well as on previously published ones, we suggest that in seasonal semideciduous forests of southeastern Brazil, Bignoniaceae is the most species-rich family, followed by Sapindaceae and Malpighiaceae, and that gripping is the most frequent climbing mechanism of lianas.
Key words:
seasonal semideciduous forest; climbing mechanisms; southeastern Brazil