DOI: 10.5061/dryad.cnp5hqccg
title: Untangling the taxonomy and geographic distribution of Quararibea floribunda (Malvaceae: Malvoideae)

description: Quararibea floribunda, a species endemic to Brazil, is poorly studied
 taxonomically, and little is known about its ecology and conservation
 status. Since its publication in 1842, only a few studies have reported on
 its morphological circumscription, thus remaining as a complex in the
 taxonomy of Quararibea. In addition, little is known about its geographic
 distribution, which, according to most authors, is restricted to the
 Cerrado Biome, a phytogeographic biome of dry forests. Therefore, we
 herein review and clarify the morphological circumscription and
 distribution of Q. floribunda in different vegetation types, designate a
 lectotype, and recognize its conservation status as Vulnerable (VU). The
 present study is based on analysis of protologues and further pertinent
 literature. Several herbaria were consulted, both in person and online.
 Fieldwork was done between 2017 and 2020 in different locations of
 midwestern and southeastern Brazil, mainly in dry forests of the Cerrado
 Biome. We confirm that Q. floribunda also occurs in the Atlantic Forest
 Biome and that it is not exclusive to the Cerrado Biome, as previously
 thought. All known populations in this biome inhabit humid habitats, and
 as such, they are closer to the vegetation of the Atlantic Forest Biome
 than the typical Cerrado dry forests. In addition to assessing the
 conservation status of Q. floribunda, we evaluate its nomenclatural
 history, leading to the designation of a lectotype, finally highlighting
 vegetative and floral diagnostic characters. A distribution map is
 provided, as well as a morphological comparative analysis between species
 with foliar domatia in extra-Amazonian Brazil.
description: The study involved a bibliographic search and examination of
 specimens placed at the following herbaria: ALCB, B*, BAK*, BHCB, BRNU*,
 C*, CEPEC, CVRD, ESA, F*, G*, GZU*, HAL*, HB, HST*, HUEFS, HVASF*, IPA,
 K*, LD*, LW*, LZ*, MAC, MBML, NY*, P*, PEUFR*, R, RB, RBR, RFFP, SI*, SP,
 SPF, U*, UEC, UFP*, UFRN*, US*, VIC, VIES, W*, and WU* (acronyms according
 to Thiers, continuously updated; * digital images). We also carried out
 field expeditions from 2019 to 2020 to update data on distribution,
 morphology, and habitat. The collected specimens were deposited in the
 herbarium RB. Morphological characters were described following Radford et
 al. (1974); the terminology for domatia was based on O'Dowd &
 Wilson (1989), and for trichomes, we referred to Payne (1978), Theobald et
 al. (1979) and Ferreira et al. (2018). We used leaf
 samples taken from the specimen <em>C.D.M. Ferreira </em>et
 al.<em> 533</em> (RB) to analyze the domatia microscopically,
 following the method of Ferreira et al. (2018) and Ferreira &
 Bovini (2020). Samples were fixed with carbon adhesive tape on stubs,
 coated with a thin gold layer of approximately 20 nm (Emitech K550X
 Sputter Coater), and observed under a scanning electron microscope (EVO
 40, Zeiss) at a voltage of 15 kV. The distribution map
 was prepared with the ArcGIS Desktop program (ESRI 2011) wherein locations
 were plotted based on the coordinates of herbaria specimens and obtained
 during fieldwork. The classification of biomes followed IBGE (2019), and
 for terminology of the vegetation types in which specimens occur, we
 adopted IBGE (2012). The conservation status of the species was determined
 following the categories and criteria defined by IUCN (2022), and the
 values of EAA and EOO were obtained through GeoCAT software (Bachman et
 al. 2011). Specimens collected in the 19th century were removed from the
 distribution map, as well as for the assessment of conservation status,
 owing to inaccurate or missing location.
description: # An update on Quararibea floribunda (Malvaceae: Malvoideae): untangling
 the taxonomy and geographic distribution
 Autor information 1.
 Carlos D. M. Ferreira Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de
 Janeiro, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Rua Pacheco Leão, 915, Rio de Janeiro,
 2246-030, Brazil. 
 Corresponding autor 2. José
 Fernando A. Baumgratz Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de
 Janeiro, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Rua Pacheco Leão, 915, Rio de Janeiro,
 2246-030, Brazil. 
 3. Massimo G. Bovini Instituto de Pesquisas
 Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Rua Pacheco
 Leão, 915, Rio de Janeiro, 2246-030, Brazil.
 
 Quararibea floribunda, a species endemic
 to Brazil, is poorly studied taxonomically, and little is known about its
 ecology and conservation status. Since its publication in 1842, only a few
 studies have reported on its morphological circumscription, thus remaining
 as a complex in the taxonomy of Quararibea. In addition, little is known
 about its geographic distribution, which, according to most authors, is
 restricted to the Cerrado Biome, a phytogeographic biome of dry forests.
 Therefore, we herein review and clarify the morphological circumscription
 and distribution of Q. floribunda in different vegetation types, designate
 a lectotype, and recognize its conservation status as Vulnerable (VU). The
 present study is based on analysis of protologues and further pertinent
 literature. Several herbaria were consulted, both in person and online.
 Fieldwork was done between 2017 and 2020 in different locations of
 midwestern and southeastern Brazil, mainly in dry forests of the Cerrado
 Biome. We confirm that Q. floribunda also occurs in the Atlantic Forest
 Biome and that it is not exclusive to the Cerrado Biome, as previously
 thought. All known populations in this biome inhabit humid habitats, and
 as such, they are closer to the vegetation of the Atlantic Forest Biome
 than the typical Cerrado dry forests. In addition to assessing the
 conservation status of Q. floribunda, we evaluate its nomenclatural
 history, leading to the designation of a lectotype, finally highlighting
 vegetative and floral diagnostic characters. A distribution map is
 provided, as well as a morphological comparative analysis between species
 with foliar domatia in extra-Amazonian Brazil. ## Description of the data
 and file structure Methods: The distribution map was prepared with the
 ArcGIS Desktop program (ESRI 2011) wherein locations were plotted based on
 the coordinates of herbaria specimens and obtained during fieldwork. The
 classification of biomes followed IBGE (2019), and for terminology of the
 vegetation types in which specimens occur, we adopted IBGE (2012). The
 conservation status of the species was determined following the categories
 and criteria defined by IUCN (2022), and the values of EAA and EOO were
 obtained through GeoCAT software (Bachman et al. 2011). Specimens
 collected in the 19th century were removed from the distribution map, as
 well as for the assessment of conservation status, owing to inaccurate or
 missing location. The nomenclatural review was performed in accordance
 with the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants -
 ICN (Turland et al. 2018). File List: 1\)
 COORD_quararibea_floribunda_publ.xls The data set is represented by
 information referring to the specimens used to carry out conservation
 status analyses (EAA and EOO) and the creation of the species distribution
 map presented in the article. The table is organized as follows: column A,
 specimen reference; column B, latitude (decimal degrees); column C,
 longitude (decimal degrees); column D, coordinate in degrees, minutes, and
 seconds; column E, corresponding location.