ANGIOSPERMS OF BRAZIL: A HABIT SYNOPSIS✅

UPDATE IN 29.09.2024

Brazil have around 33,379 spp. of described angiosperms, with over 18,000 endemics, showcasing an exceptional diversity of adaptation forms in soil, freshwater, coastal environments, and upon other plants. Here, we propose to classify the country's plant diversity into 50 categories of vegetative forms, based on extensive bibliographic research.

The vast majority of Brazil's angiosperm diversity fits into ordinary terrestrial forms of (1)tree, shrub, epiphytes, lianas, and herbs. Trees range from measly 2cm to 88m meters (Dinizia excelsa), exhibiting various patterns of branch architecture, leaves, barks, flowers (many cauliflorous, some flagelliflorous), and fruits; their leaves span from afilous species to Coccobola gigantifolia, with simple leaves reaching up to 3m in width. Similar patterns are observed with shrubs and herbs. Lianas, in turn, can be flexible, like in Cucurbitaceae and Convolvulaceae, and woody, like some Fabaceae. This category also includes a significant portion of terrestrial hemiparasites, as in Krameriaceae, Orobanchaceae, and Santalales.

Some variants of shrubs stand out: the (2)branching xilopodics, with underground organs, notable examples in Brazil like Anacardium, Jacaranda, and Stryphnodendron; the ultra rare (3)non-branching xilopodics, like Sinningia helioana, where leaves grow directly from the bulb; (4)caudiciforms, deriving from herbs but creating a woody base, like some Bulbostylis and many Cryptanthoids; (5)hyper-thorny, sometimes leafy, with extreme forms like Quiabentia, Colletia, and Discaria in Rhamnaceae; (6)cushions, sparsely represented in Brazil, with notable examples in Paepalanthus; (7)non-Cactaceae succulents, in Brazil represented by Portulaca, some Peperomia and Euphorbia; rare (8)spiny succulents non-Cactaceae, like Diosocorea basiclavicaulis; (9)ephedroid, sparsely represented in Brazil but identified in Polygonum, Orthosia, and some Spigelia; (10)dracenoid, with notable examples in Brazil being Vellozia and Cordyline; (11)ground rosettes, spiny or not, well represented in Brazil by many Bromeliaceae, Furcraea, Orectanthe, and Eryngium; (12)caulirosules, with the most notable example in Brazil being Prestelia and some Microlicia; and (13)phyllocladoids, like some Phyllanthus and Brasiliopuntia.

The most notable tree variants are the forms (14)cecropioids, well represented by Cecropia, and (15)mangrove species, which migrated to the partially saline environment on the coast, with representatives of Rhizophora, Conocarpus, Laguncularia, and Halairanthus in Brazil.

Some plants, between shrub and tree size, have assumed a (16)candelabriform non-cacti aspect, with leaves at the extreme branches, as seen in some Merianthera, Jatropha, some Caricaceae, Hyptis, Wunderlichia and Mimosa.

Among herbs, they can be as tiny as Lepuropetalum at 2cm in diameter to giants like Phenakospermum. Some creep in environments forming carpets, the (17)carpet-forming, like Raddiella, Micranthemum, Callisia, Elatine, and some Euphorbia and Pilea, some Convulvulaceae, Rubiaceae and Lycianthes. Others, in pre-marine environments, have assumed the (18)salicornioid habit, like Sarcocornia and Batis. Still near the sea, some have taken the (19)sesuvioid habit, like Sesuvium, Ammania, Rotala, Laurembergia, and some Gomphrena. Two other interesting categories of herbs are the (20)graminids, typical of Monocots like Tofieldiaceae, Juncaginaceae, Velloziaceae, Cyclanthaceae, Nartherciaceae, Typhaceae, Rapateaceae, Thurniaceae, Juncaceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, Eriocaulaceae, Xyridaceae, Commelinaceae, and Haemodoraceae; the (21)juncoid aphyllous, as seen in Glaziophyton mirabile; and the (22)bulb-bearing, like Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae, Orchidaceae, Iridaceae, and at least a single Pitcairnia.

(23)Giant herbs may include members of Araceae, Taccaceae, Orchidaceae, Worsleya, Eriocaulaceae, Heliconiaceae, Strelitziaceae, Maranthaceae, Cannaceae, Zingiberaceae, Costaceae, Gunneraceae, Alstroemeriaceae, and Caricaceae; whereas (24)sacciform-leaved herbs only include Saccifolium bandeirae from Mount Neblina.

Among epiphytes/lianescent, four myriad forms stand out: (24)aerial parasites, strongly represented in Loranthaceae and Santalaceae; (25)hoyoids, growing adherent to the substrate, where in Brazil some Peperomia, Constantia, Monstera, Acianthera, Marcgravia, and Codonanthe can be mentioned; (26)pendulous, like some Rhipsalidae, Dichaea and Isochilus; (27)electric-grid epiphytes, like Tillandsia recurvata; (28)negatively growing lithophytes, like Tillandsia reclinata; (29)cacti-epiphyllous, like Hatiora and many Rhipsalis; (30)strangulating, like some Ficus and Spirotheca; and (31)tank epiphytes, like many Bromeliaceae.

Some notable types include plants that encompass more than one major group, like the (32)bambusoids, which include herbaceous forms (in Orchidaceae and Marantaceae) and woody forms (like true bamboos), the (33)palmoids, including shrub-like forms like Cyclanthaceae and many Arecaceae, and tree-like forms, like most Arecaceae; and the (34)odd leaf forms forms, as ericoid, passerine, microphyllous, quandrangular or worled leaves at the stem, widely present in Brazilian savannas, found in members of Myrcia, Spermacoceae, Declueuxia, Mandevilla, Sauvagesia, Ruehssia, Minaria, Hyptis, Lychnophorinae, Lucilia, Baccharis, Agrianthus, Catolesia, Hypericum, Heteropterys, Turnera, some Linum, Moninna, Senega, Chamaecrista, Cuphea, Cambessedesia, Microlicia, Marcetia, Microtea, Caryophyllaceae, Xerosiphon, Froelichiella, Ledothamnus, Declieuxia, Deianira, Calolisianthus, and Barjonia.

All the above plants are essentially terrestrial and amphibious. Many forms are aquatic, notably the (35)floating, like Nympheaceae, Lemnoideae, Pistia, Alismataceae, Phyllanthus fluitans, Ludwigia sedoides, and Nymphoides; the (36)submerged/aerial, like Cabombaceae, freshwater Hydrocharitaceae, Potamogetonaceae, Mayacaceae, Eriocaulaceae, Pontederiaceae, Ceratophyllaceae, Ranunculus, Myriophyllum, Podostemaceae, Callitriche, Anamaria and Lilaeopsis; and the (37)sea grasses, in Hydrocharithaceae, Ruppiaceae, and Cymodoceaceae.

Cactaceae, with the exception of Pereskioideae, some forms in Opuntioideae, and epiphytic cacti, stand as separate types: (38)opuntioid, like Tacinga; (39)microglobular, like Frailea; (40)common cactoid, thin or thick, like Cereus and Facheroa; (41)macroglobular, like some Parodia, Melocactus, and Uebelmania; (42)branching, with very thin branches, like Harrisia and Arrojadoa; and (43)massive-diffuse, like some forms of Gymnocalycium.

Four carnivorous forms deserve mention as well: the (44)pitchers, like Heliamphora; the (45)droseroids, like Drosera; the (45)round subterranean-leaves, as in Philcoxia; and the (47)Lentibulariaceae, in the case of Utricularia and Genlisea.

All the above plants are photosynthetic. There are three types of non-photosynthetic: the (48)achlorophyllous terrestrials, like Prosopanche, many Burmaniaceae, Thismiaceae, Triuridaceae, Orchidaceae, Balanophoraceae, Voyria and Voyriella; the (49)aerial lianas, like Cassytha and Cuscuta; and the (50)isophasics, like Apodanthaceae.

O QUE O BRASIL PRECISA?

Não de muito: um período geológico e um elemento químico batizados em referência ao nosso país, armas nucleares e bases militares no exterior.

PERIODO GEOLÓGICO

Nenhum período geológico, até nível de series, tem nome dado em referência a Brasil ou um elemento seu.

Os nomes das eras geológicas têm origens variadas, muitas vezes derivadas de características geológicas significativas ou de locais onde foram inicialmente identificadas. Todos são nomes de radicais gregos exceto Pré-Cambriano, pois Cambria era um nome antigo para atual Gales. Dos 12 períodos dentro das eras, todos se baseiam em nomes de objetos ou termos genéricos, exceto os citados a seguir.

Cambriano: Este período foi nomeado após Cambria, o nome latino para Gales.

Ordoviciano: O nome vem da tribo Ordovices, uma tribo celta que habitava a região de Gales.

Siluriano: Nomeado após os Silures, uma antiga tribo celta que habitava a região central do País de Gales.

Devoniano: Derivado da região de Devonshire, na Inglaterra.

Permiano: Nomeado após a província de Perm, na Rússia.

Jurássico: Nomeado após a região de Jura, nos Alpes franceses.

No estágio inferior - séries - há varias referências a regiões de vários países do mundo, com destaque para EUA (3), China (3), Rússia (1), entre outros. Não há referência a nenhum país da América Latina nem África. Para listagem completa destes períodos, veja Wikipedia/Geologic Time Scale.

QUADRO DOS PRINCIPAIS PERÍODOS GEOLÓCIGAS ATÉ NÍVEL DE ERA

ELEMENTO QUIMICO

Os nomes dos elementos químicos podem ser atribuídos de várias maneiras, mas geralmente seguem certas convenções e padrões estabelecidos pela União Internacional de Química Pura e Aplicada (IUPAC) e pela comunidade científica internacional. Aqui está uma lista dos elementos químicos batizados em referência a entes geográficos (Superinteressante, 2023) - nenhum faz referência ao Brasil.

Magnesio (Magnesia, Grécia)

Escândio (Escandinávia, Europe)

Manganês (também Magnesia, Grécia)

Cobre (Chipre)

Gálio (Gália, França)

Germânio (Alemanha)

Estrôncio (Vila de Strontian, na Escócia)

Ítrio (Cidade de Ytterby, na Suécia)

Rutênio (Ruthenia, antigo nome das terras da Rússia)

Samário (deriva do mineral samarskita, batizado em homenagem ao geólogo russo Vassili Samarsky-Bykhovets)

Európio (Europa)

Gadolínio (de gadolinita, batizado em homenagem ao cientista nórdico Johan Gadolin)

Térbio (Ytterby, na Suécia)

Holmio (Holmia, antigo nome da cidade de Estocolmo)

Érbio (Ytterby, na Suécia)

Túlio (Thule, antigo termo usado para se referir à Escandinávia)

Itérbio (Ytterby, na Suécia)

Lutécio (Lutetia, antigo nome romano da cidade de Paris)

Háfnio (Háfnia, o antigo nome da cidade de Copenhague)

Rênio (Rio Reno, que cruza a Alemanha)

Polônio (Polônia, terra natal de Marie Curie)

Frâncio (França)

Amerício (America)

Cúrio (Marie Curie (1867 – 1934) e Pierre Curie (1859 – 1906), químicos poloneses)

Berquélio (Berkeley, EUA)

Californio (Califórnia, EUA)

Einstênio (Albert Einstein, físico alemão)

Férmio (Enrico Fermi, físico italiano)

Mendelévio (Dmitri Mendeleev, físico russo)

Nobélio (Alfred Nobel, químico e engenheiro sueco)

Laurêncio (Ernest Lawrence, físico estadunidense)

Ruthefordio (Ernest Rutherford, físico neozelandes)

Dubnio (Dubna, Rússia)

Seabórgio (Glenn Theodore Seaborg, químico estadunidense)

Bohrio (Niels Bohr, físico dinamarquês)

Hássio (Hasse, na Alemanha)

Meitnério (Lise Meitner, física austríaca)

Damstádio (Darmstadt, na Alemanha)

Roentgenio (Wilhelm Röntgen, físico alemão)

Copernício (Nicolau Copérnico, estudioso polonês)

Nihonio (Japão)

Fleróvio (Georgy Flyorov, físico soviético/russo)

Moscóvio (Moscou, Rússia)

Livermório (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, laboratório da Califórnia)

Tenessino (Tennessee, EUA)

Oganessônio (Yuri Oganessian, físico soviético/russo)

De todos estes registros, os únicos que não fezem refewrência a países inteiramente europeus ou pesquisadores seus são 17: Cobre, Rutênio, Samário, Amerício, Berquélio, Califórnio, Mendelévio, Laurêncio, Rutherfordio, Dubnio, Seabórgio, Nihonio, Fleróvio, Moscóvio, Livermório, Tenessino e Oganessônio - destes, seis são referência aos EUA (2 estados, 1 cidade, 1 instituto, 2 pesquisadores), sete em referência a Rússia (1 nome genérico, 4 pesquisadores e 2 cidades), e Chipre, Nova Zealândia, Japão e América como um todo, uma referência cada.

ARMA NUCLEAR

Países com armas nucleares detêm um poder estratégico significativo no cenário global. Ter um arsenal nuclear confere a esses países uma posição de influência e dissuasão, principalmente em termos de segurança nacional e geopolítica. Aqui estão algumas razões para a importância das armas nucleares para um país:

1. Dissuasão de Agressão: As armas nucleares servem como um poderoso elemento dissuasório contra agressores potenciais. A ameaça de retaliação nuclear pode desencorajar outros países de lançar ataques contra um país nuclear.

2. Segurança Nacional: O arsenal nuclear fortalece a segurança nacional de um país, garantindo sua capacidade de resposta a qualquer ameaça existencial. Isso cria uma espécie de "guarda-chuva nuclear" para proteger o país contra ameaças externas.

3. Influência Global: Possuir armas nucleares confere prestígio e influência no cenário global. Isso pode ser utilizado como moeda de troca em negociações diplomáticas e como uma forma de afirmação de poder.

4. Equilíbrio de Poder: A posse de armas nucleares por vários países contribui para um equilíbrio de poder, desencorajando conflitos diretos entre grandes potências e promovendo a estabilidade global.

Atualmente, os principais países com arsenais nucleares são: Rússia (5889), Estados Unidos (5224), China (410), França (290), Reino Unido (225), Paquistão (170), Índia (164), Israel (unknown) e Coreia do Norte (embora não oficialmente reconhecida por todos os países).

PAÍSES QUE TEM ARMAS NUCLEARES, E PAÍSES QUE AS ABRIGAM EM SEU TERRITÓRIO (EM INGLÊS)

BASE MILITAR ESTRANGEIRA

A instalação de bases militares no exterior permite a um país projetar poder, por exemplo, para conduzir guerra expedicionária e, assim, influenciar eventos no exterior. Dependendo de seu tamanho e infraestrutura, elas podem ser usadas como áreas de preparação ou para suporte logístico, de comunicações e de inteligência. Muitos conflitos ao longo da história moderna resultaram na instalação de bases militares no exterior em grande número por parte das potências mundiais; e essas bases têm ajudado os países que as estabeleceram a alcançar objetivos políticos e militares.

Ao todo no mundo, 18 países projetam poder com presenças militares articuladas fora de seu território (Wikipedia). Todos os países que tem bases fora do seu território são da Eurásia exceto EUA e Austrália. Por outro lado, nas Américas, apenas os EUA posseum base fora do país, e os únicos que tem bases em seu território são Cuba (China e EUA um cada), Bahamas (EUA), Belize (Reino Unido), Honduras (EUA) e Antilhas Holandesas (EUA e Neterlands 1 cada).

TODAS AS RELAÇÕES ENTRE PAÍSES COM BASES EM OUTRO PAÍS, COM EXCEÇÃO DAS RELAÇÕES DAS BASES DOS EUA NA EUROPA E ORIENTE MÉDIO

CASIQUIARE CHANNEL

The Casiquiare river is a distributary of 326 km of the upper Orinoco flowing southward into the Rio Negro, entirely in Venezuela, South America. As such, it forms a unique natural canal between the Orinoco and Amazon river systems. It is the world's largest river of the kind that links two major river systems, a so-called bifurcation. The area forms a water divide, more dramatically at regional flood stage (W). For more informations, see Laraque, A. et al. (PRE-PRINT, 2019).

CASIQUIARE INFORGRAPHIC WITH MAP AND IMAGES OF THE TWO EXTREME POINTS

The origin of the Casiquiare, at the River Orinoco, is 14 km below the mission of La Esmeralda at 3°8′18.5″N 65°52′42.5″W, and about 123 m above sea level. Its mouth at the Rio Negro, an affluent of the Amazon River, is near the town of San Carlos and is 91 metres above sea level (W)

What is the plant that grows tallest in Brazil

An interesting question that can be asked about Brazilian biodiversity is: what is the plant that grows tallest in Brazil? The answer is simple: the plants that grow at the top of Mount Neblina. Since Brazil's maximum altitude is only 2,995m, the mountaintop is still in a zone fully occupied by angiosperms. Part of the answer can be deduced with a photo of the extreme top, where it is possible to see the immediate vegetation formation, and presume which of these plants could be mentioned. Let's deduce some possibilities, in three photos obtained from the Internet, which portray the mountaintop.

A. in this photo, it is possible to infer that the angiosperms in Brazil that grow at higher altitudes are low, herbaceous plants that do not even reach the size of a shrub. There's not much more to say.

HERBACEOUS VEGETATION

B. in this photo, it is possible to see small rosettes, which suggest they are members of Poales, possibly Bromeliaceae, Cyperaceae, or Xyridaceae, with a low probability of being Poaceae.

POSSIBLY POALES

C. this third photo reinforces the possibility that the highest altitude plants in Brazil are Bromeliaceae.

POSSIBLY BROMELIACEAE

Most likely, the plants that grow at the highest altitudes in Brazil are Cyperaceae or Bromeliaceae.

RUSHMORE BRASILEIRO

Abaixo uma montagem bastante primitiva e 'tosca' do que poderia ser o 'Rushmore brasileiro'. Ela foi feita pondo o rosto de seis dos mais importantes bandeirantes brasileiros no maciço do Itatiaia, usando imagens disponíveis na Net e os softwares PhotoScape e PhotoFiltre Studio X.

EM ORDEM: MANUEL PRETO (?-1630), RAPOSO TAVARES (1598-1659), FERNÃO DIAS (1608-1681), MANUEL BORBA GATO (1649-1718), DOMINGOS JORGE VELHO (1641-1709) E ANHANGUERA (1672-1740)

O Monte Rushmore localiza-se em Keystone, no estado do Dakota do Sul, Estados Unidos, onde estão esculpidos os rostos de quatro Presidentes dos Estados Unidos: George Washington, o primeiro presidente dos EUA, Thomas Jefferson, autor da declaração da independência, Theodore Roosevelt, que conquistou maior conhecimento e liberdade de expressão, e Abraham Lincoln, que lutou pela paz do país durante toda a Guerra Civil. Ideia do pintor e escultor Gutzon Borglum, inicialmente era para ser feito apenas um busto, mas houve muita indecisão em relação a qual deveria ser construído; sua construção durou de 1927 a 1941 (Wikipedia).

ROTAS BIOCEANICAS: DO BRASIL AO PACÍFICO

Rodovia Bioceanica

Ferrovia Bioceanica

PORTUGAL: THE 27th BRAZILIAN STATE

Brazilians represent approximately 25% of the foreign population in Portugal. Their legal status varies according to several and complex elements such as date of arrival and effective legalization processes available to them (1992, 1996, 2001, 2003), whether they are married to a national or they have Portuguese (or other European) ancestors, what their level of education and work experience is, etc.

1nd AND 2nd LARGEST SOURCE OF IMMIGRANTS TO PORTUGAL BY DISTRICT IN 2018 (REDDIT).

Therefore, many are legal residents, others have authorization to stay (autorizações de permanência), others, fewer, were able to legalized through the 2003 exceptional process and have working permits, and many others are still undocumented.

BOUGAINVILLEA: THE BRAZILIAN QUEENS

Bougainvillea Comm. ex. Juss. (Nyctaginaceae) comprises 11 spp., 9 from Ecuador to S Agentina and Paraguay (5 of them up to Brazil), and two endemics to Brazil (SSAA). This genus is very important within the horticultural trade where the species B. glabra, B. spectabilis and many hybrids and cultivated varieties are widely commercialized as ornamentals for their long-lasting, colourful flower bracts. Although flower bracts of purple, pink or red colour are commonly seen, cultivars are now available in apricot, white, blue, yellow and orange (Cabi Digital Library).

DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF FLOWER SHADES OF CULTURED FORMS OF BOUGAINVILLEA SPECTABILIS WILLD.

Currently, both wild and cultivated forms of B. spectabilis Willd. are commercialized and have probably been introduced repeatedly across tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. Apparently, the main difference between these two forms is that in the wild form flowers have simple bracts and produce reproductive structures while cultivars have flowers with multi-whorl bracts but are sterile. In this species, the cultivated varieties have been selected to have multi-whorl flowers, a type of floral abnormality in which some or all of the stamens in a flower are replaced by petals, and the carpel is replaced by sepals or petals. These cultivars with multi-whorl bracts have great ornamental and commercial value, but are sexually sterile (do not develop sexual organs) and must be propagated through cuttings (Cabi Digital Library).

SOME VARIEGATED PATTERNS ON LEAVES OF BOUGAINVILLEA SPECTABILIS WILLD.

FUNGI REALM

Impossible to accurately describe the fungi. A ubiquitous being in living creatures on the planet, with about 140,000 spp. described, but estimates of 2.2 to 3.8M (Wikipedia). In archaic publications and even in modern magazines, they are associated with plants, although they are much closer to animals. But in the modern web of life, fungi are a unique lineage among the 78 already listed of prokaryotes.

Yes, modern fungi, animals and plants are just three of the 78 lineages of eukaryotic life forms. The other 75 were formerly part of the Protista, with some formerly thought to be fungi, now thought to be independent.

PHYLOGENETIC TREE OF FUNGI; CLICK FOR FULL SIZE

In this post, we will not talk about fungi as a whole. For those who want to know super details of the evolution of this group, we recommend Ortiz & Gabaldón (PMC/2019). Here we discreetly list three types of fungi interesting from the perspective of Almanaque Z: the truffles (Tuber), the aquatic basidiomycota and the bioluminescent fungi.

PHYLOGENETIC POSITION OF THE FUNGI THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED HERE

TUBER, TUBERACEAE, PEZIZIALES

Tuber P.Micheli ex F.H.Wigg., true 'truffles', is a genus in the Tuberaceae family of fungi, with estimated molecular dating to the end of the Jurassic period (156 Mya). It includes several species of truffles that are highly valued as delicacies. According to the Dictionary of the Fungi (2008), this widespread genus contains 86 spp. In 2015 a new species T. petrophilum Milenković, P. Jovan., Grebenc, Ivančević & Marković, in Milenković, Grebenc, Marković & Ivančević was discovered in the Dinaric Alps (Southeastern Europe, Serbia). In 2016, two new species were discovered in introduced trees of pecans cultivated in Brazil but putatively native from North America, T. floridanum A. Grupe, Sulzbacher & M.E. Smith and T. brennemanii A. Grupe, Healy & M.E. Smith. (Wikipedia).

AGARICALES

Agaricales includes about 13,000 described mushrooms, and it includes all the mushrooms that we want to highlight here: the bioluminescent mushrooms and the aquatic mushrooms.

BIOLUMINESCENT

Worldwide, among the luminescent species, 125 species of mushroom-forming fungi have been recorded to date. These fungi represent five distinct lineages

Armillaria ‣ Armillaria species at Physalacriaceae (12 spp.), absents in South America.

Mycenoid ‣ 4-8 genera with bioluminescents, Mycena, Filoboletus (manipularis group), Panellus (Panellus/Dictyopanus species), Roridomyces, and Resinomycena (a single bioluminescent, exclusive from SE Brazil), all anchored in the family Mycenaceae. 17 luminescent species in Brazil (Soares, C.B. et al, Phytotaxa, 2024), three in Amazonia Complex.

Omphalotus ‣ (4/)12 bioluminescent spp. (Wikipedia), Neonothopanus (2) and Omphalotus (10, California to Texas and NW & N Mexico,  E U.S.A., SW South Africa, S China to Japan in E Asia, S Australia to Tasmania) plus Nothopanus eugrammus (Japan to Malaysia) and Pleurotus decipiens, only the former in N & NE Brazil (Neonothopanus gardneri), mainly in palms.

Lucentipes ‣ two species: Gerronema viridilucens, described in 2005 based on material collected from the bark of living Eugenia fluminensis O.Berg. trees in S São Paulo State in SE Brazil; and Mycena lucentipes Desjardin, Capelari & Stevani, knwoon from SE Brazil and Puerto Rico (Desjardin et al., Mycologia, 2005); both form an independent lineage of bioluminescent fungi with uncertain phylogenetic position at the family level.

Eoscyphella ‣ a single species, exclusive from Brazil, Eoscyphella luciurceolata Silva-Filho, Stevani & Desjardin, known from a bark of Solanum swartzianum in the Atlantic Rainforest, southern Brazil. Known only from the type locality (Silva-Filho et al., Journal of Fungi, 2023).

By IPBio (VER) there are 105 spp. in the world, 17 described 12 not yet described in Brazil, mostly in the Atlantic Forest, making the forest a global hotspot for this unique type of fungus.

SOME LIGHT MUSHROOMS FROM ATALNTIC FOREST OF BRAZIL

UNDERWATER

Basidiomycota that fruit in water include only Psathyrella aquatica J.L.Frank, Coffan, & Southworth, 2010 (Wikipedia), in family Psathyrellaceae, found only in the Rogue River in Oregon, USA. It was found by Southern Oregon University professor Robert Coffan in the Rogue River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Coffan and his colleagues, Darlene Southworth and Jonathan Frank, found the mushroom in 2005. The biology department at Southern Oregon University confirmed that the mushroom was a unique discovery. Once their research was published, it was named one of the most significant species discovered in 2010. They have so far been discovered in a 1 kilometer stretch of the river, and have an observed fruiting season of mid-June to late September. Many scientists were skeptical about describing this mushroom as a new species because of the hundreds of similar looking species in the Psathyrella family.

Psathyrella aquatica J.L.Frank, Coffan, & Southworth in situ, Oregon, U.S.A.

ECTOMYCORRHIZA

An ectomycorrhiza (ECM) is a form of symbiotic relationship that occurs between a fungal symbiont, or mycobiont, and the roots of various plant species. The mycobiont is often from the phyla Basidiomycota and Ascomycota, and more rarely from the Zygomycota, among 78-82 fungal lineages that comprise 251-256 genera (Tedersoo & Smith, Fungal Biology Reviews, 2013). Ectomycorrhizas form on the roots of around 2% of plant species,[1] usually woody plants, including species from the birch, dipterocarp, myrtle, beech, willow, pine and rose families (Wikipedia). Pseudotulostoma volvatum OK Mill. & TW Henkel has the first occurrence of an ectomycorrhizal Ascomycota fungus in a native host plant in Brazil, in white-sand forest composed of the canopy tree Aldina heterophylla Spruce ex Benth. (Fabaceae) in NE Amazonas state (Komura et al., Plant Systematics and Evolution, 2021).