Abstract
The continental wetlands and the coast of Ceará State included submerged and emmersed aquatic plant communities composed of Angiosperms. Species belonging to the Hydrocharitaceae, Cymodoceaceae and Ruppiaceae families are found in these environments, comprising vegetation of intertidal zones and freshwater marshes, submerged or emersed. This work presents a floristic study of these families in Ceará and descriptions of representatives of the genera Apalanthe, Egeria, Najas, Halophila, Halodule and Ruppia. The last three are known as "marine phanerogams or seagrasses". Nine taxa of Hydrocharitaceae were recorded: Apalanthe granatensis, Egeria densa, E. najas, Limnobium laevigatum, Najas arguta var. arguta, Najas arguta var. podostemon, N. conferta, N. marina and Halophila decipiens. In addition to these, Halodule wrightii (Cymodoceaceae) populations were found throughout the coast of the State while Ruppia maritima (Ruppiaceae) had occurrence reported only in estuaries. The majority of continental species were reported in a semi-arid central region of Ceará State. Full descriptions, taxonomic observations, identification keys, illustrations and data on geographic distribution are presented.
Key words:
aquatic macrophytes; seagrass; wetlands; intertidal zone communities
