List of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park published in the Catalog of Plants of the PAs of Brazil

The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (PNLM) is the first conservation unit in Maranhão to have its list of plants published in the Catalog of Plants of the Conservation Units of Brazil. Created in 1981, the PNLM is located in the coastal area of the state and covers approximately 302 hectares, encompassing parts of the municipalities of Primeira Cruz, Santo Amaro and Barreirinhas.

Famous for its dunes interspersed with lagoons formed by rainwater, the park is influenced by three biomes - the Amazon, Cerrado and Caatinga - forming a unique environment. There are different formations of restingas, mangroves, cocais and gallery forests, among others. Its flora was little studied until the middle of the last decade, when collection expeditions were carried out (2015-2017) and a first list published (2019) by researchers from the Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences - Tropical Botany at the Federal Rural University of Amazonia (UFRA) and the Emílio Goeldi Museum of Pará (MPEG).

Updated with data from more recent collections and articles, the PNLM list published in the Catalog includes 291 species, 288 of which are angiosperms, two ferns and one lycophyte. The Poaceae and Cyperaceae families are the most diverse. Most of the samples used to compile the list are deposited in the MG (Goeldi Museum, Belém), MAR (Federal University of Maranhão) and SLUI (State University of Maranhão) herbaria.

Bacopa cochleriana, species categorized as EN | Photo: Lucas Marinho

The PNLM is home to Bacopa cochlearia (Huber) L.B.Sm. (Plantaginaceae), which is threatened with extinction in the EN (Endangered) category, and two species classified as DD (Insufficient Data): Stilpnopappus cearensis Huber (Asteraceae) and Duroia paraensis Ducke (Rubiaceae). Photographs of some of these and other species from this PA can be found in the image bank published alongside the list, in which the variety and delicacy of the shapes and colors of the flowers is striking. 

Stilpnopappus cearensis, categorized as DD | Photo: Pedro Lage Viana

Lucas Cardoso Marinho (UFMA), the publication's organizer, believes that the availability of the list of vascular plants of the Lençóis Maranhenses Park in the Catalogue of Conservation Units in Brazil is another step in the knowledge of this unique region. “There are still areas that are poorly sampled, such as the primitive zones, and taxonomic groups that require greater sampling effort, such as ferns and lycophytes. The list, containing images and data on the conservation status on an easily accessible platform, favors scientific dissemination and opens up avenues for new research,” he concludes.

Access the List of Plants of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park.
See the Catalog of Plants in Brazil's Conservation Units.