The floristic composition and phytosociological structure were investigated in an area of 0.75 ha of a montane forest (1,900 m a.s.l.) located between the municipality of Gonçalves and Camanducaia in the Serra da Mantiqueira. This forest belongs to the largest forest remnant in the region, and keep several headwaters of rivers which waters supply many cities in southern Minas Gerais and São Paulo. The phytosociological survey was done on 15 plots of 5 × 100 m where all trees with DBH > 15 cm were recorded. The floristic survey listed 66 species and 29 families. The families with highest species richness were Myrtaceae and Solanaceae. The phytosociological survey recorded 1,501 individuals in 58 espécies, with density of 2,001 individuals per hectare. The most important families were Myrtaceae, Lauraceae and Meliaceae. The species with higher IVI were Ocotea lancifolia (42.88), Cabralea canjerana (29.53) and Psychotria velloziana (22.95). Species diversity (H') was estimated as 2.9 (nats.ind.-1). The floristic inventary showed an important richeness with typical relictual montane species and the presence of an endangered species, Dicksonia sellowiana (Dicksoniaceae). The protection of this remnant is very important as strategy of biodiversity conservation of atlantic tropical montane forest and as water resource to the southern Minas Gerais and São Paulo.
floristic composition; phytosociological structure; tropical montane forest
