Expedition to Mato Grosso do Sul enriches JBRJ's collection and research

On an expedition to the municipalities of Três Lagoas, Alcinópolis, Costa Rica and Figueirão, in Mato Grosso do Sul, last September, researchers from the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Marcus Nadruz, José Fernando Baumgratz and Massimo Bovini collected 300 fertile samples for the institution's herbarium and five species for cultivation (Magonia pubescens, Peltogyne confertiflora, Hymenaea cf stigonocarpa, Hymenaea sp and Eriotheca sp).

Of this total, three species caught the researchers' attention for the beauty of their flowers (photos): Gomphrena macrocephala (para-tudo-do-cerrado), Mitostemma brevifilis (maracujá-do-cerrado) and Jacaranda decurrens (carobinha). The plants were recorded for inclusion in the JBRJ herbarium.

According to researcher Marcus Nadruz, coordinator of JBRJ's Living Collections, the aim of the journey was to collect samples of specimens from those locations and find the species Lueheopsis hoehnei, popularly known as açoita-cavalo, to complete the doctoral thesis of student Samuele Gerace, from the National School of Tropical Botany.

"We also went in search of fruits and seeds of species that have no record in the Garden's living collection," says Nadruz, emphasizing that the expedition is in line with the Botanical Garden's mission to learn about and preserve the national flora.