Levantamento florístico de plantas aquáticas e palustres do município de Bacuri, Maranhão, Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

The aim of this study was to carry out a floristic survey of aquatic and palustrine plants in the municipality of Bacuri, MA. Aquatic and palustrine plants play an important role in aquatic ecosystems, such as feeding, providing shelter for animals and fixing nutrients for biomass. Maranhão has 12 river basins, but there is a lack of studies on the state's aquatic flora. The municipality of Bacuri is surrounded by bays, estuaries, islands, streams and extensive mangrove swamps, which are ecosystems conducive to the development of aquatic and palustrine plants. Collections were made in June 2023 and February 2024, in the municipality's wetlands. A total of 71 species were catalogued. Angiosperms were the most representative with 69. The most expressive families were Melastomataceae, Rubiaceae and Cyperaceae. The richest genera were Cyperus with five (7%) species, followed by Bacopa, Costus, Lindernia, Ludwigia and Utricularia, all with three (4%) species. In terms of biological forms, the most expressive were amphibious with 58 (77%) and emergent with 11 (15%). In terms of conservation status, 54 (87%) species are not assessed as threatened. The number of species cataloged in this study is considered significant when compared to other studies in the Northeast region. In addition to expanding the list of aquatic and palustrine plant species in Maranhão, there is also a need for studies on aquatic plants in the state's mesoregions, in order to increase knowledge of these plants.