Flora of the Phanerogams of the State of São Paulo

Abstract

This project aims to produce a complete flora of the Phanerogams of the state of São Paulo, to be published in 8 volumes with two supplementary publications - one on the vegetation of the state and the other on plants of economic importance. The project involves a total of about 130 plant taxonomists, from São Paulo (Instituto de Botânica (IBt), Unicamp, USP (São Paulo), USP (Ribeirão Preto), USP (Piracicaba), Instituto Florestal (IF), Instituto Agronômico De Campinas (IAC), Unesp: Ilha Solteira, Rio Claro, São José do Rio Preto and Prefeitura da cidade de São Paulo, and other regions of Brazil, Latin America, USA and Europe (UK, Switzerland, Holland). The project also involves a considerable number of post-graduate and undergraduate students. About 140 collecting trips were organized from January 1994 to May 1997, resulting in about 18,500 numbers which have now been distributed to the specialists in each family and to several herbaria in São Paulo. A data bank containing information on the species represented in the herbaria of São Paulo State was set up to help coordinate the project, and to give participants an indication of the size of each group and where material was deposited, besides giving an indication of the total size and composition of the flora. This data bank now contains approx. 75,000 records and indicates a total of around 1,500 genera and 8,500 species for the state. The project is currently in a phase of manuscript production, with a number of groups already completed, and the remainder being completed. The project aims to deliver final manuscript for the whole flora by August 1998. A few limited collecting trips are still being organized to resolve problems in particularly difficult groups such as palms and bromeliads. (AU)