Ferns and lycophytes of the Cerrado State Park, Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

We present a checklist of the ferns and lycophytes from the Cerrado State Park, Jaguariaíva, Paraná, Brazil. This region represents the southernmost limit of Cerrado vegetation in Brazil. The park is located along the Devonian Escarpment, one of the most iconic geological formations in southern Brazil. The remnants of Cerrado in Paraná are relics of a colder and drier climate that occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum, about 5,600 years ago. They are now surrounded by natural grasslands and Araucaria Forest, which is typical of southern Brazil. We recorded 112 species (102 ferns and ten lycophytes), from 51 genera and 16 families. Ten species were first recorded in the Devonian Escarpment, and Ctenitis bigarellae and Tryonia areniticola are rare. None of the species are endemic to the Cerrado and most are typical of the humid forests of Eastern Brazil. We provide notes and illustrations for all species.

Key words
biodiversity; Brazilian savannah; Devonian Escarpment; pteridophytes; taxonomy