1 INTRODUCTION
Siderasis Angiosperms (SDa), this present project, is a a work developed with the objective of presenting, in a brief way, the diversity of angiosperms in South America, raising several points of analysis and discussion, distributed throughout the following pages.
SDa is largely based on Synopsis of South American Angiosperms (SSAA), a checklist of all South American native genera of angiosperms, organized by order, family, genera, and eventually by subfamilies, tribes, subtribes, and the genera, in hundreds of cases, are enunciated by valid subdivisions. SSAA is based on Plants of the World Online (POWO), the most objective and clear list on the flora of the World and, consequently, of South America, according to the APG group (SEE) for orders and families. The platform allows searching by geographic region and taxonomic group in a dynamic and highly productive.
2 APG AND MODERN CLASSIFICATIONS OF ANGIOSPERMS
APG circuscriptions of April 04, 2023 differs from APG IV, the last version published as article (Botanical Journal of Linnean Society, 2016) with 64 orders and 416 families, by fully recognition of Hydnoraceae, Taccaceae, Thismiaceae, Afrothismiaceae and Peltantheraceae, seven spliteds for Boraginaceae, six splited for Olacaceae, Tiganophtyaceae a new family, Mystropetalaceae dismembered of Balanophoraceae, and Wightiaceae dismembered of Carlemmaniaceae, plus three new orders: Desfontainiales, Oncothecales and Cardiopteridales. With the changes, the APG now recognizes 67 orders and 437 families.
It is very timely to mention the opinion article by Cole, T.H.C. (PeerJ, 2015), where he makes a strong criticism of the APG project. H.-T. Li et al. (Nature Plants, 2019) makes a great genetic analysis of data on the general structure of the classification of angiosperms, compares it with APG IV, although it brings only changes in the order sequence, without modifying them. Other classification in Angios Bergianska Website, by Jan Thomas Johansson, it is fantastic for the detailing, in plain text, of all the accepted genera in each family and its general distribution, sometimes even very detailed, and many easily accessible references.
Below we have the evolutionary trees of vascular plants as a whole, and then the evolutionary tree of angiosperms, focus of this blog, with 20 lineages at angiosperms: AMBORELLANAE, NYMPHAEANAE, AUSTROBAILEYANAE, CHLORANTHANAE, MAGNOLIANAE, LILIANAE, CERATOPHYLLANAE, RANUNCULANAE, PROTEANAE, TROCHODENDRANAE, BUXANAE, MYROTHAMNANAE, DILLENIANAE, SAXIFRAGANAE, VITANAE, ROSANAE, SANTALANAE, BERBERIDOPSIDANAE, CARYOPHYLLANAE and ASTERANAE.
Huipeng et al. (PRE-PRINT, 2023) suggests that the COM clade (Celastrales-Oxalidales-Malpighiales), currently considered part of Fabids, is actually independent of both Fabids and Malvids, being probably parallel to both.
PHYLOGENY OF LIVING EMBRIOPHYTES
ANGIOSPERM PHYLOGENY TREE, BI LI ET AL (BMC BIOLOGY, 2021)
3 GLOBAL NUMBERS OF SPECIES
Christenhusz and Byng (Phytotaxa, 2016) lists of all families by APG IV with number of species each, with 308,312 are vascular plants, with 295,383 flowering plants (74,273 monocots and 210,008 eudicots), and other groups: algae ca 44,000, liverworts ca 9,000, hornworts ca 225, mosses 12,700, lycopods 1,290, ferns 10,560 and gymnosperms 1,079. According to the VPA, on September 22, 2022, Brazil had 34,780 spp. of vascular plants, being 1,206 of Monilophytes, 171 of Lycophytes, 24 of gymnosperms and the other 33,379 of angiosperms (SEE), followed, in last group, closely by China (29,716, SEE).
4 ORDERS
APG recognizes 67 orders worldwide. South America has 57 of these, 53 in Brazil and four absents: Fagales, Desfontainiales, Berberidopsidales and Huertales. Together, these four orders has 10 families, 16 genera and 46 spp. in continent.
5 FAMILIES
There are 437 families by APG, 284 in South America (65.35% of the world's families), 237 in Brazil (corresponding to 82.68% of families in South America and 54.04% of the world total). The table below presents the number of families worldwide, in South America, and in Brazil, categorized by major angiosperm taxonomic groups.
| GROUP | WORLD | SOUTH AMERICA | BRAZIL | EXXOFAMILIES | G/SPP IN SOUTH AMERICA |
| AMBORELLANAE NYMPHAEANAE AUSTROBAILEYANAE CHLORANTHANAE MAGNOLIANAE |
27 | 17 | 15 | ATHEROSPERMATACEAE GOMORTEGACEAE |
2/2 |
| LILIANAE |
80 | 51 | 44 | ZOSTERACEAE MELANTHIACEAE CORSIACEAE PHILESIACEAE ASTELIACEAE TECOPHILEACEAE RESTIONACEAE |
11/17 |
| CERATOPHYLLANAE RANUNCULANAE PROTEANAE TROCHODENDRANAE BUXANAE MYROTHAMNANAE |
16 | 11 | 8 | LARDIZABALACEAE PAPAVERACEAE NELUMBONACEAE |
5/12 |
| DILLENIANAE VITANAE SAXIFRAGANAE |
17 | 8 | 5 | GROSSULARIACEAE SAXIFRAGACEAE HAMAMELIDACEAE |
7/59 |
| ROSANAE: FABIDS |
75 | 58 | 52 | NOTHOFAGACEAE FAGACEAE MYRICACEAE JUGLANDACEAE BETULACEAE CORIARIACEAE |
11/28 |
| ROSANAE: MALVIDS |
60 | 34 | 27 | ALZATEACEAE TAPISCIACEAE DIPENTODONTACEAE CYTINACEAE DIPTEROCARPACEAE KOEBERLINIACEAE TOVARIACEAE |
7/19 |
| SANTALANAE BERBERIDOPSIDANAE CARYOPHYLLANAE |
54 | 35 | 28 | MISODENDRACEAE AEXTOXICACEAE BERBERIDOPSIDACEAE FRANKENIACEAE HALOPHYTACEAE MONTIACEAE ANACAMPSEROTACEAE |
14/120 |
| ASTERANAE | 108 | 70 | 58 | POLEMONIACEAE ACTINIDIACEAE MITRASTEMONACEAE HYDRANGEACEAE CORNACEAE TETRACHONDRACEAE PELTANTHERACEAE PHRYMACEAE NAMACEAE COLUMELIACEAE PHYLLONOMACEAE STYLIDIACEAE |
25/130 |
| 437 | 284 | 237 | 83/445 |
Brazil has more families than Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, and less of them than Colombia (252), Venezuela (243) and Peru (242), and ties with Bolivia (237). Worldwide Mexico has 254 (Almanaque Z/Mexico ✕ Brazil Botany Comparations), but the largest amount being for China, with 257 families (SEE).
The 'A - B' symbol used in table below (checklist of families in Brazil against their neighbors countries with more families) represents the number of native families in country A that do not occur in country B.
| COLOMBIA | 252 ✕ 237 | BRAZIL | ||
|
CL - BR = 27 (Fagaceae, Betulaceae, Juglandaceae, Myricaceae, Collumeliaceae, Dipentodontaceae, Tapisciaceae, Polemoniaceae, Montiaceae, Actinidiaceae, Grossulariaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Cytinaceae, Hydrangeaceae, Phyllonomaceae, Papaveraceae, Nelumbonaceae, Hamamelidaceae, Mitrastemonaceae, Alzateaceae, Phrymaceae, Peltantheraceae, Namaceae, Cornaceae, Tovariaceae, Coriariaceae and Tetrachondraceae). BR - CL = 12 (Hydnoraceae, Calyceraceae, Canellaceae, Quillajaceae, Nartherciaceae, Francoaceae, Cistaceae, Sarraceniaceae, Gelsemiaceae, Hydrophyllaceae, Goodeniaceae and Griseliniaceae). |
||||
| VENEZUELA | 243 ✕ 237 | BRAZIL | ||
|
VZ - BR = 18: (Betulaceae, Juglandaceae, Myricaceae, Collumeliaceae, Dipentodontaceae, Tapisciaceae, Polemoniaceae, Montiaceae, Actinidiaceae, Grossulariaceae, Papaveraceae, Melanthiaceae, Namaceae, Phrymaceae, Cornaceae, Tovariaceae, Coriariaceae and Tetrachondraceae). BR - VZ = 12: (Hydnoraceae, Calyceraceae, Lepidobotryceae, Francoaceae, Rhabdodendraceae, Strombosiaceae, Juncaginaceae, Griseliniaceae, Anisophylleaceae, Quillajaceae, Hydrophyllaceae and Gelsemiaceae). |
||||
| PERU | 242 ✕ 237 | BRAZIL | ||
|
PR - BR = 22 (Tecophileaceae, Corsiaceae, Betulaceae, Juglandaceae, Myricaceae, Collumeliaceae, Dipentodontaceae, Tapisciaceae, Polemoniaceae, Montiaceae, Actinidiaceae, Grossulariaceae, Hydrangeaceae, Phyllonomaceae, Papaveraceae, Saxifragaceae, Alzateaceae, Peltantheraceae, Namaceae, Phrymaceae, Cornaceae, Tovariaceae, Coriariaceae and Frankeniaceae). BR - PR = 17 (Thurniaceae, Quillajaceae, Tetrameristaceae, Cannellaceae, Cyrillaceae, Nartherciaceae, Griseliniaceae, Rhabdodendraceae, Peridiscaceae, Sarraceniaceae, Cymodoceaceae, Surianaceae, Cistaceae, Ixonanthaceae, Gelsemiaceae, Goodeniaceae and Euphroniaceae). |
||||
| BOLIVIA | 237 ✕ 237 | BRAZIL | ||
|
BL - BR = 22 (Betulaceae, Juglandaceae, Myricaceae, Collumeliaceae, Dipentodontaceae, Polemoniaceae, Montiaceae, Actinidiaceae, Grossulariaceae, Hydrangeaceae, Phyllonomaceae, Papaveraceae, Saxifragaceae, Koeberliniaceae, Alzateaceae, Phrymaceae, Peltantheraceae, Namaceae, Cornaceae, Tovariaceae, Frankeniaceae and Anacampserotaceae). BR - BL = 22 (Cymodoceaceae, Thurniaceae, Taccaceae, Griseliniaceae, Lepidobotryceae, Nartherciaceae, Anisophylleaceae, Cannellaceae, Bonnetiaceae, Peridiscaceae, Euphroniaceae, Strombosiaceae, Sarraceniaceae, Quillajaceae, Goodeniaceae, Surianaceae, Cistaceae, Gelsemiaceae, Cyrillaceae, Rhabdodendraceae, Bataceae and Tetrameristaceae). |
||||
6 SOUTH AMERICA FAMILIES ABSENTS IN BRAZIL (EXXOFAMILIES; UNBRAZILIAN FAMILIES)
South America has 49 unbrazilian families, together containing 83 genera and 445 spp. in continent, of which Conanthera, Zephyra (Tecophileaceae), Lapageria (Philesiaceae), Gomortega (Gomortegaceae), Pseudomonotes (Dipterocarpaceae), Schreiteria (Montiaceae), Halophytum (Halophytaceae), and Grahamia (Anacampserotaceae) are national endemisms.
10 of the exxofamilies have genera restricted to South America (Atherospermataceae, Gomortegaceae, Philesiaceae, Tecophylleaceae, Lardizabalaceae, Saxifragaceae, Nothofagaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Corsiaceae, and Collumeliaceae).
The largest speciose families in continent are Montiaceae (98), Brunelliaceae (61), Actinidiaceae (49), Grossulariaceae (51), Polemoniaceae (37), Hydrangeaceae (14), Phrymaceae (13), Nothofagaceae (10), Frankeniaceae (9), Dipentodontaceae (9), Tecophileaceae (9), Myricaceae (8), Misodendraceae (8), Saxifragaceae (7), Juglandaceae (6), Papaveraceae (5) and Collumeliaceae (5).
Zosteraceae and Berberidopsidaceae on the continent are restricted to Chile; Koeberliniaceae to Bolivia; Melanthiaceae to Venezuela; Nelumbonaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Hamamelidaceae, Fagaceae, Cytinaceae and Mitrastemonaceae to Colombia. Gomortegaceae is endemic to Chile and Halophytaceae is endemic to Argentina.
NATIONAL ENDEMIC GENERA IN EXXOFAMILIES, SINGLE COUNTRY-CONTINENTALLY EXXOFAMILIES, AND ENDEMIC EXXOFAMILIES
Huge South American families absents in Brazil are the worldwide speciose Fagaceae (969), Papaveraceae (775), Dipterocarpaceae (695), Saxifragaceae, Actinidiaceae (448), Montiaceae (275), Polemoniceae and Grossulariaceae (192). All exxofamilies has 3 or fewer genera in South America except Polemoniaceae (12), Montiaceae (7) and Saxifragaceae (5). 28 has only a single genus, 12 only two genera, three only three genera.
7 GENERA
In 11.09.21 The Plant List - a united work including sources as Kew and MOBOT - showed 14,044 valid genera of Angiosperms worldwide (SEE).
In June 13, 2024, there are 4,143 genera of angiosperms in South America by SSAA. in Brazil occurs 2,763 (355 endemics), and the other 1,380 are those that occur in South America but not in Brazil (which this site reports under the names 'unbrazilian' and their synonime neologism 'exxogenera', SEE). Among genera of angiosperms, Brazil has the second amount in World, after China (3,003, SEE).
96 Brazilian genera are underrepresented in country - with high representation in South America but very low in Brazil; 59 genera are hypercentered in the country; 88 genera are semiendemic - not endemic to Brazil but in our country they have only endemic species. For a complete and detailed list, see Odd Distributions in Brazil.
Brazilian largest genera are, via POWO (FEV 09, 2024, except Paepalanthus): Miconia (588), Eugenia (453), Myrcia (450), Mimosa (384), Croton (345), Piper (296), Solanum (281), Chamaecrista (278), Begonia (251), Paepalanthus (242), Paspalum (207) and Mikania (207).
Brazil's 355 endemic genera correspond to 12.87% of the country's genera and 8.564% of the continental total; the 13 countries together on the continent totaled 633 national endemic genera (SEE), 56.082% of them Brazilian and together corresponding to 15.271% of the continental amount. Suriname and Uruguay do not have endemic genera. 59 families has endemic genera in Brazil (inc. Ehretiaceae, Eriocaulaceae and Sapotaceae, excluding Ximeniaceae and Anisophylleaceae), being the only country in the world with an endemic genera in Martyniaceae and Humiriaceae.
And it is the only one in South America (in addition to the three above) in:Achariaceae, Annonaceae, Capparaceae, Cleomaceae, Commelinaceae, Connaraceae, Convolvulaceae, Eriocaulaceae, Iridaceae, Lauraceae, Ochnaceae, Orobanchaceae, Linderniaceae, Lythraceae, Salicaceae, Polygalaceae, Menispermaceae and Celastraceae.
27 famlies has endemic genera in a single country outher Brazil, mainly in Chile:
| 11 | CHILE | Aristolochiaceae, Campanulaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Escalloniaceae, Francoaceae, Lardizabalaceae, Gomortegaceae, Phillesiaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Phytolacaceae, Tecophileaceae. | ||||
| 5 | ARGENTINA | Anacampserotaceae, Montiaceae, Halophytaceae, Heliotropiaceae, Calyceraceae. | ||||
| 3 | PERU | Costaceae, Muntingiaceae, Asparagaceae. | ||||
| 3 | GUYANA | Peridiscaceae, Passifloraceae, Erythropalaceae. | ||||
| 3 | COLOMBIA | Dipterocarpaceae, Vochysiaceae. | ||||
| 2 | VENEZUELA | Haemodoraceae, Xyridaceae. | ||||
6 families have endemic genera in more than one country in South America excluding Brazil. Argentina has the largest number of genera in country context, and Brassicaceae has the largest in family context - almost a fifth these genera are Brassicaceae genera endemics to Argentina.
| ZYGOPHYLLACEAE | 2 | 1 | |||||
| ERICACEAE | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| BRASSICACEAE | 4 | 3 | 8 | ||||
| LOASACEAE | 2 | ||||||
| RAPATEACEAE | 2 | 4 | |||||
| VERBENACEAE | 2 | 1 | |||||
| 8 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
Important groups without endemic genera in Brazil is Brassicaceae, Cyperaceae and Ericaceae. Brazil no has hyperendemic family (family that in the country is composed only of endemic genera), such as Dipterocarpaceae in Colombia.
NATIONAL HYPERENDEMIC FAMILIES IN SOUTH AMERICA
8 ENDEMISM IN SPECIES
In 46 native families, Brazil has no endemic species (c. 1/5 of national families). Consequently, Brazil has endemic species in 191 families. In at least three, Rhabdodendraceae, Microteaceae and Cabombaceae, is the only country in the world with such.
| GROUP | NUMBER | FAMILIES |
| AMBORELLANAE - MAGNOLIANAE | 1 | Chloranthaceae. |
| LILIANAE | 11 | Ruppiaceae, Juncaginaceae, Xanthorrhoeaceae, Nartherciaceae, Taccaceae, Haemodoraceae, Typhaceae, Mayacaceae, Thurniaceae, Strelitziaceae and Cannaceae. |
| CERATOPHYLLANAE - MYROTHAMNANAE | 2 | Ceratophyllaceae and Buxaceae. |
| DILLENIANAE, SAXIFRAGANAE, VITANAE | 2 | Peridiscaceae and Crassulaceae. |
| ROSANAE | 13 | Zygophyllaceae, Quillajaceae, Surianaceae, Brunelliaceae, Euphroniaceae, Goupiaceae, Ixonanhthaceae, Apodanthaceae, Lepidobotryaceae, Muntigiaceae, Cistaceae, Bataceae and Staphylleaceae. |
| SANTALANAE, BERBERIDOPSIDANAE, CARYOPHYLLANAE | 9 | Coulaceae, Basellaceae, Aizoaceae, Talinaceae, Phytolaccaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Achatocarpaceae, Cyrillaceae and Tetrameristaceae. |
| ASTERANAE | 8 | Hydroleaceae, Hydrophyllaceae, Calceolariaceae, Stemonuraceae, Menyanthaceae, Goodeniaceae, Adoxaceae and Griseliniaceae. |
9 OTHER NOTES IN THIS BLOG
In addition to the information above, we also highlight Rankings, a set of information on the diversity of South American flora analyzed under different aspects. For data on restrictions on Brazilian states, see Brazilian Restricted State Genera. By general notes for morphology, see Morphological and Ecological Notes.
10 NOTES AMONG ESPECIFIC BOTANY GROUPS
Several notes available in Almanaque Z blogspot for South American members of Lycophytes (SEE), Monilophytes (SEE), Gymnosperms (SEE), and Brazilian native members of Brassicaceae (Almanaque Z) and Caryophyllaceae (Almanaque Z). For an informal review of some groups, see Fagales in New World (Almanaque Z), Brassicaceae in New World (Almanaque Z), South American Poaceae (Almanaque Z) and New World Orchidaceae (Almanaque Z).
11 SELECTED DIVERSITY NOTES IN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES
Brazil has scarce diversity in many importante groups such as Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Amaranthaceae non Amaranthoideae.
Hotspot of high diversity in South America are Rapateaceae in Venezuela; Magnoliacae, Arecaceae, Araceae, Heliconiaceae, Costaceae, Zingiberaceae, Brunnelliaceae, Gunneraceae, Ericaceae, Gesneriaceae, Campanulaceae and Cyclanthaceae in Colombia; Orchidaceae in Ecuador; Piperaceae, Alstroemeriaceae, Crassulaceae, Grossulariaceae and Amaryllidaceae in Peru; Brassicaceae and Calyceraceae in Argentina; and Loasaceae in Chile. For Brazil, some high diversities belongs Monimiaceae, Lauraceae, Bromeliaceae, Myrtaceae, Melastomataceae and Lamiaceae.
Morphologically (and locally in South America), the largest absences in Brazil are mangroves Pelliciera (Colombia), carnivorous Pinguicula (Venezuela to Chile), holoparasitics Lennoa, Mitrastemon, Bdalophytum (Venezuela and Colombia) and Aphyllon (Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina), holomycotrophics Monotropa (Colombia), Degranvillea (French Guiana), Arachnitis, Tiputinia, Triuridopsis (Peru to Chile and Argentina), sea grasses Thallassia and Syringodium (Venezuela and Colombia) and dicot dissecation tolerant Bloosfeldia and Clinopodium (Bolivia, Argentina and Chile). In Brazil, there are no records of occurrence of representatives of smaller taxa such as Peruvian terrestrial nanoplants (Viola, Begonia, Lysipomia), and huge species such as Puya raimondii (Peru, Bolivia) and Ceroxylon quindiuense (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru). Species with large seeds, such as Mora (Fabaceae), Pelleciera (Tetrameristaceae) and Attelea (Arecaeae) from Colombia to Peru, are also absent.
12 PUBLICATIONS for publications about botany, mainly taxonomy, we have a wide range of references:Phytotaxa
PhytoKeys
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
Taxon
Systematic and Biodiversity
Novon
Brittonia
Kew Bulletin
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society
Systematic Botany
Nordic Journal of Botany
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden
Havard Papers in Botany
Acta Botanica Brasilica
Biota Neotropica
Rodriguesia
Lankesteriana
Webbia
CANDOLEA
American Journal of Botany
Peerj
Edinburgh Journal of Botany
Peerj - Plant Sciene Taxonomy
Feddes Repertorium
Phytologia
Willdenowia
Bradleya
Lilloa
Darwiniana
Caldasia
Neodiversity
PlantNow
Plant Diversity
Aquatic Botany
Molecular Plant
Organisms Diversity & Evolution
Rheedea
Hacquetia
Adansonia
Plant Ecology and Evolution
Plant and Fungal Systematics
The Botanical Review
Brazilian Journal of Botany
European Journal of Taxonomy
International Journal of Plant Sciences
Aroideana
Taiwania
13 BRAZILIAN NATURAL NOMENCLATURE nomenclature that we use in English for some Brazilian vegetation and relief formations.igapó ‣ seasonally flooded forest (igapó).
caatinga ‣ dry seasonal scrubland of NE Brazil (caatinga).
cerrado ‣ savannas of C Brazil (cerrado).
campinaranas ‣ north-amazonic white-sand savannas (campinaranas).
campos rupestres ‣ rocky grasslands (campos rupestres).
campos de altitude ‣ high altitud grasslands (campos de altitude).
cangas ‣ rocky-ferriginous grasslands (cangas).
restingas ‣ Atlantic sandy coastal shrublands (restingas).
Pico da Neblina ‣ Neblina Massif.
Serra do Aracá ‣ Aracá Massif.
14 INFRASPECIFIC NOMENCLATURE here we provide a classification key of intraspecific categories, which may occasionally be used in this blog’s texts (WCSPF):
1 Distribution range separate, gene flow absent or very restricted between the infraspecific populations and differing in characters that are significant for taxonomic species differentiation within the genus ........................................subsp.
1 Distribution ranges overlapping, gene flow possible and not differing in characters that are significant for taxonomic species differentiation within the genus ........................................2.
2 Populations separate........................................var.
2 Mixed populations present........................................f.
15 CONTACT for contact use the form on the sidebar on the right.
UPDATES
08⋅11⋅2024 ‣ adjustment to the new position of Apodanthaceae in Malpighiales, rather than in Cucurbitales, by Alzate, J.F. et al. (Mol. Phyl. and Evolution, 2024).
07⋅11⋅2024 ‣ small corrections.
PIAUÍ, BRAZIL