Medicinal Plants in the Atlantic Forest (Brazil): Knowledge, Use, and Conservation

This study focuses on knowledge of medicinal plants among the Caiçaras (rural inhabitants of the Atlantic Forest coast, Brazil). In particular, we examine the use of medicinal plants according to sex and age to reveal general patterns of Caiçara knowledge and use of plant resources. Data collected through 449 interviews at 12 Caiçara communities (Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo coastal sites) include citations of 249 plants and identification of 227 species. We show the importance of introduced as opposed to native plants and of key individuals for the conservation of the Caiçaras-Atlantic Forest.     

Perianal and/or rectal lesions in South American blastomycosis

Summary The authors review and comment on Brazilian literature on the observations of South American Blastomycotic lesion in perineal, anal and/or rectal localization.They relate a case of a patient presenting a perineal lesion two years after the excision of a tumor caused byP. brasiliensis in the brain.They comment onMackinnon's pathogenic theory of South American Blastomycosis that presumes that lungs are the portal of entry ofP. brasiliensis by inhalation of its spores. Thus, mucocutaneous lesions are secondary to a primary pulmonary localization by hematogenous route.

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Sumário Os autores revisam e comentam a literatura brasileira sôbre as observacões de Blastomicose Sul-americana com localização peineoano-retal.Relatam a observação de um paciente no qual a lesão perineal surgiu dois anos após a ablação de um tumor do cérebro porP. brasiliensis.Discutem a casuística à luz da teoria patogênica deMackinnon, admitindo que a porta de entrada do fungo seja pelas vias aéreas, por inhalação dos espórios do fungo. As lesões mucocutãneas são pois secundárias à localização pulmonar primária, (às vêzes inaparantes) da qual resultam por disseminaçåo hematógena.

     

Diversity of plant uses in two Caiçara communities from the Atlantic Forest coast, Brazil

Caiçaras are native inhabitants of the Atlantic coast on southeastern Brazil, whose subsistence is based especially on agriculture and artisanal fishing. Because of their knowledge about the environment acquired through generations, Caiçara people can play an important role in Atlantic Forest conservation. An ethnobotanical study was conducted within two Caiçara communities (Ponta do Almada and Camburí beach, São Paulo State, Brazil), focusing on plant uses. In 102 interviews, 227 plant ethnospecies were quoted, mainly for food, medicine, handicraft and construction of houses and canoes. People from studied communities depend on the native vegetation for more than a half of the species known and used. Using diversity indices, plant uses are compared between studied communities and between gender and age categories within each community. We found quantitative differences in the knowledge about plants between gender categories for each kind of use (medicinal, food and handicrafts). Older and younger informants also have different knowledge about plants for handicraft and medicine, but not for edible plants.     

Trichophyton verrucosum in Brazil

Summary The authors review Brazilian literature on human and cattle ringworm infection withT. verrucosum.They report the first time on human and bovine autochtonous infections in Rio Grande do Sul. They try to explain the origin of this epizootic focus verified in Bajé (Rio Granje do Sul, Brazil).

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Sumário Os autores revisam a literatura nacional sôbre infecção humana e animal porTrichophyton verrucosum no Brasil.Relatam a verificação de casos autoctones em 3 pessoas e uma epizootia em animais; tentam explicar a origem dêsse foco epizoótico em Bajé (R. Grande do Sul).

     

Vegetation reconstruction on the basis of pollen in Late Pleistocene hyena coprolites from San Teodoro Cave (Sicily, Italy)

Vegetation reconstruction based on pollen from coprolites of extinct spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta spelaea, Goldfuss 1832) recovered from excavations carried out in 1998 at San Teodoro Cave (Sicily, Italy) supports previous indications of pre-Late Glacial conditions. Eight of the twelve coprolites analysed contained well-preserved pollen grains. There is a general similarity between the pollen contents from the coprolites but they show variability. They suggest a main vegetation type dominated by steppic taxa (Poaceae, Artemisia, Ephedra, Chenopodiaceae and Asteraceae) but also including arboreal taxa (Pinus and Cupressaceae). Low percentages of pollen of mesophilous woody taxa (Quercus, Betula, Abies, Alnus, Pistacia, among others) are noticeable, suggesting the existence of nearby refugia for temperate and Mediterranean vegetation. A reconstruction of the landscape, using the coprolite pollen record and other pollen records from Sicily and south Italy, shows the predominance, during the pre-Late Glacial, of a wooded steppe biome, with elements representing a variety of local environmental conditions.     

Ringworm by Microsporon gypseum in a dog

Summary The authors make a review ofM. gypseum infection in animals in Brazil. They relate a case of ringworm in a dog by this dermatophyte. They predict that the finding of animal ringworm by this fungus may be commoner in Brazil.

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Sumário Os autores fazem uma revisão das Tinhas em animais, determinadas peloM. gypseum no Brasil. Relatam um caso de Tinha por êsse fungo em um cão. Comentam que as infecções um animais porM. gypseum devam ser mais frequentes em nosso país.

     

Trichophyton mentagrophytes infection in laboratory white mice

Trichophyton mentagrophytes infection was studied in a breeding colony of 42 white mice. Symptoms were observed in only 3 out of the 12 animals shown to carry dermatophyte on their coats.Literature on Trichophyton mentagrophytes infection in mice is reviewed. The use of the technique developed by Mariat & Tapia (16) to isolate dermatophytes on cultures, specially for epidemiological surveys, is postulated.Attention is called to the importance of healthy animals, directly or indirectly, as carriers of fungi and sources of infection to other animals and human beings.

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Resumo E feita uma revisão da literatura sobre infecção, em camundongos, por T. mentagrophytes e descrita uma epizootia em camundongos do biotério da Escola Paulista de Medicina.Dos 42 animais usados para experimentação, 3 apresentavam lesões descamativas na cabeça e dorso. T. mentagrophytes foi isolado, em cultivo, de 2 dos camundongos com lesão e de 10 animais, clinicamente sadios. A tecnica desenvolvida por Mariat & Tapia para isolamento de fungos do tegumento de animais e de pacientes, com ou sem lesões visiveis, em áreas extensas do corpo, parece ser a mais indicada, pela praticabilidade e facilidade de seu uso, principalmente em amplos inquéritos epidemiológicos. Chama-se atenção para a importância dos animais sadios, como vetores de esporos de fungos e fontes de infecção, diretamente ou indirectamente, para o homem e outros animais.

     

First cases of histoplasmosis diagnosed in recife,Brasil

Summary Three cases of histoplasmosis are described, one also with subcutaneous nodule, the first cases reported from Pernambuco, Brasil.Histoplasma capsulatum was isolated from tissues in two cases and from sputum in two cases, all in pure culture.Docente Livre de Parasitologia, Chefe de Secção de Micologia. Cat. Prof.Alvaro de Figueiredo.Professor, Washington University, formerly Visiting Professor, Cadeira de Parasitologia.Pesquisadora, Cadeira de Parasitologia, Secção de Micologia.     

Pennsylvanian palynofloras from the Itu rhythmites (Itararé Subgroup, Paraná Basin) in São Paulo State, Brazil

The rhythmites of Itu present the best exposures of glacial varvites known in the Paraná Basin, and constitute a classic geological monument related to the Late Palaeozoic Gondwanan glaciation. Palynological results in this paper are based on rhythmites from two quarries in Itu area, central-eastern State of São Paulo, Brazil, including correlate levels of the “Itu Varvite Park”, as well as based on samples from the borehole IT-IG-85 (at 171 and 228 m) drilled also in the Itu City. Well-preserved indigenous miospores and microphytoplankton elements have been recorded. The former comprise 15 spore species and 19 pollen species, of which three are recorded for the first time in the Brazilian part of the Paraná Basin (Verrucosisporites cf. V. andersonii, Convolutispora archangelskyi and Caheniasaccites verrucosus). Microalgae include prasinophyceans (Leiosphaeridia sp., Tasmanites sp., Deusilites tenuistriatus), chlorophyceans (Botryococcus braunii) and zignemataceans (Tetraporina). The palynological content confirms a late Pennsylvanian (Kasimovian/Gzhelian) age for these rhythmites, which are assigned to the Crucisaccites monoletus interval Zone, based on the record of the eponymous pollen species and Scheuringipollenites maximus. Although very scarce, prasinophycean algae suggest low salinity marine conditions.     

Aspergillus Gracilis Bainier var. Sartoryi (Biourge) Batista,Lima e Vital n. var. — Sua importáncia filogenética

Summary We deal with a new variety ofAspergillus which we callAspergillus gracilis Bainiervar. sartoryi (Biourge) Batista, Lima and Vital.This variety appears to be very important under the phylogenetic point of view, apparently being an intermediate form betweenAspergillus andPenicillium.Its morphology resemblesA. gracilis but the conidia characteristics are distinct; we took the epithetsartoryi fromA. sartoryi Biourge which was not described by the respective author.We suggest, too, the transfer of the seriesA. restrictus, where we put our new variety, from the groupA. glaucus, to become independant, as a connective series in the phylogenetic development betweenAspergillus andPenicillium, since the type of the series and the other elements that it embraces does not produce sclerotia or cleistothecia and the conidial apparatus offers curious similarity toPenicillium. Besides, some fungi of the series grow well in certain culture media, in complete discordance with the members of the groupA. glaucus.

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Publiçacão no 4

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Chefe do Instituto de Micologia;

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Diretor do Instituto de Antibióticos e Prof. de Microbiologia da Escola de Química;

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Assistente micologista do Instituto de Micologia — (Todos da Universidade do Recife).

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Os autores declinam o seu agradecimento ao Dr.Heraldo da Silva maia, Assistente micologista eD. Marilene Maranhão Moreira, Auxiliar-Técnico, do Instituto de Micologia, pela colaboração que lhes prestaram, durante a realização do presente trabalho.     

Elytrosporangium: A new genus of the actinomycetales

Summary Elytrosporangium (Greek Elytron, pod), a new genus of Actinomycetales from soil, placed in the family ActinoplanaceaeCouch, and its type species,E. brasiliense, are described. The main characteristic of the new genus is the production, in the substratal mycelium, of pod-shaped sporangia (merosporangia) with non-motile, globose, subglobose, to more or less cylindrical sporangiospores in chains. In addition, aerial mycelium with spores in chains, as inStreptomyces, is produced.

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Zusammenfassung Elytrosporangium (griechisch: Elytron, Schote) eine neue Gattung von Actinomycetels des Bodens wird hier zusammen mit der ArttypeE. brasiliense beschrieben. Das Hauptmerkmal der genannten Gattung ist die Erzeugung von Sporangien in Schotenform (Merosporangien) im vegetativen Myzel. Die Sporangien bilden sich sowohl am Ende von Haupthyphen als auch in kleinen seitlichen Zweigen, einzeln oder als Trauben, von zwei bis fünf. Die Sporangiosporen bilden eine Kette, die Basale mehr oder weniger zylindrisch und die übrigen fast kugelförmig. Luftmyzel mit Ketten von Konidien können erzeugt werden wie inStreptomyces. Wir betrachten die beschriebene Gattung als zur Familie Actinoplanaceae gehörend.Die Arttype wurde isoliert von Bodenproben welche gesammelt wurden in einen Bodenprofil von 45 cm Tiefe in Verfolg des Programms einer Mikrobiologischen Prospektion des Bodens im Nordosten von Brasilien welches IMUR gemeinsam mit anderen brasilianischen wissenschaftlichen Körperschaften ausführt.

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Sumário Elytrosporangium (grego Elytron, vágem), um novo gênero de Actinomycetales do solo é descrito, juntamente com sua espécie tipo,E. brasiliense, A principal característica do gênero em foco é a produção de esporângios em forma de vágem (merosporângios), no micélio vegetativo. Os esporângios formam-se tanto na extremidade de hifas principais como na de pequenos ramos laterais, isoladamente ou em cachos de dois a cinco.Os esporangiosporos constituem uma cadeia, os basais sendo mais ou menos cilíndricos e os demais globosos ou subglobosos.Um micélio aéreo exibindo cadeias de conídios pode ser produzido, como emStreptomyces.Consideramos o gênero em causa como integrante da familia Actinoplanaceae. A espécie tipo foi isolada de amostra de solo coletada num perfil, a 45 cm de profundidade, como decorrência de programa de prospecção microbiológica dos solos do Nordeste do Brasil que o IMUR vem desenvolvendo em colaboração com entidades científicas brasileiras.

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IMUR, Publ. no. 467.     

A synopsis of the tribe Lachnophorini,with a new genus of Neotropical distribution and a revision of the Neotropical genus Asklepia Liebke, 1938 (Insecta,Coleoptera, Carabidae)

This synopsis provides an identification key to the genera of Tribe Lachnophorini of the Western and Eastern Hemispheres including five genera previously misplaced in carabid classifications. The genus Asklepia Liebke, 1938 is revised with 23 new species added and four species reassigned from Eucaerus LeConte, 1853 to Asklepia Liebke, 1938. In addition, a new genus is added herein to the Tribe: Peruphorticus gen. n. with its type species P. gulliveri sp. n. from Perú. Five taxa previously assigned to other tribes have adult attributes that make them candidates for classification in the Lachnophorini: Homethes Newman, Aeolodermus Andrewes, Stenocheila Laporte de Castelnau, Diplacanthogaster Liebke, and Selina Motschulsky are now considered to belong to the Lachnophorini as genera incertae sedis. Three higher level groups are proposed to contain the 18 recognized genera: the Lachnophorina, Eucaerina, and incertae sedis.Twenty-three new species of the genus Asklepia are described and four new combinations are presented. They are listed with their type localities as follows: (geminata species group) Asklepia geminata (Bates, 1871), comb. n, Santarém, Rio Tapajós, Brazil; (hilaris species group) Asklepia campbellorum Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., 20 km SW Manaus, Brazil, Asklepia demiti Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., circa Rio Demiti, Brazil, Asklepia duofos Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., 20 km SW Manaus, Brazil, Asklepia hilaris (Bates, 1871), comb. n, São Paulo de Olivença, Brazil, Asklepia grammechrysea Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., circa Pithecia, Cocha Shinguito, Perú, Asklepia lebioides (Bates, 1871), comb. n, Santarém, Rio Tapajós, Brazil, Asklepia laetitia Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., Leticia, Colombia, Asklepia matomena Zamorano & Erwin, sp.n., 20 km SW Manaus, Brazil; (pulchripennis species group) Asklepia adisi Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Ilha de Marchantaria, Lago Camaleão, Brazil, Asklepia asuncionensis Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Asunción, Río Paraguay, Paraguay, Asklepia biolat Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., BIOLAT Biological Station, Pakitza, Perú, Asklepia bracheia Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., circa Explornapo Camp, Río Napo, Cocha Shimagai, Perú, Asklepia cuiabaensis Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Cuiabá, Brazil, Asklepia ecuadoriana Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Limoncocha, Ecuador, Asklepia kathleenae Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Belém, Brazil, Asklepia macrops Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Concordia, Río Uruguay, Argentina, Asklepia marchantaria Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Ilha de Marchantaria, Lago Camaleão, Brazil, Asklepia marituba Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., Marituba, Ananindeua, Brazil, Asklepia paraguayensis Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., San Lorenzo, Rio Paraguay, Paraguay, Asklepia pakitza Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., BIOLAT Biological Station, Pakitza, Perú, Asklepia pulchripennis (Bates, 1871), comb. n, Santarém, Rio Tapajós, Brazil, Asklepia samiriaensis Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., Boca del Río Samiria, Perú, Asklepia stalametlitos Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., Guayamer, Río Mamoré, Bolivia, Asklepia strandi Liebke, 1938, Guyana, Asklepia surinamensis Zamorano & Erwin, sp. n., l’Hermitage, Surinam River, Surinam, Asklepia vigilante Erwin & Zamorano, sp. n., Boca del Río Samiria, Perú. Images of adults of all 18 genera are provided.     

Palynology and age of the Early Oligocene units in Çardak-Tokça Basin, Southwest Anatolia: Paleoecological implications

In this study, the lignite bearing sediments of Çardak-Tokça basin exposed in southwest Anatolia, were palynologically examined. A well preserved and diverse palynomorph assemblage indicating an Early Oligocene age was recovered from the Hayrettin and Tokça formations. The palynomorph assemblage is dominated by Pinus, Sparganiaceae, Juglandaceae and diverse tricolpate and tricolporate pollen. In addition a few species of marine dinoflagellate cysts were encountered as well. The Early Oligocene age is based primarily on the presence of stratigraphic markers such as: Boehlensipollis hohli, Slowakipollis hippophaëoides, Aglaoreidia cyclops, Dicolpopollis kockeli, Compositoipollenites rhizophorus ssp. burghasungensis, Mediocolpopollis compactus ssp. ellenhausensis, Pentapollenites pentangulus, Subtriporopollenites simplex and Intratriporopollenites instructus. Palynological data indicate a humid subtropical climatic conditions during the deposition of the Çardak-Tokça sediments. Ecological analysis of the palynomorph assemblage identifies several paleo-associations of montana, lowland and slope, swamp and water-edge and freshwater aquatic elements. In this study, Çardak-Tokça, Çank?r?-Çorum, Thrace and southwest Anatolian molasse basins (Kale-Tavas and Denizli) were correlated in accordance with their palynostratigraphic content and the results show that the deposition took place during the Early Oligocene in the Çardak-Tokça basin. This basin is older than Thrace basin and southwest Anatolian molasse basins (Kale-Tavas and Denizli molasse) which were deposited during the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene.     

Estudo taxonômico de um novo Aspergillaceae

Summary Aspergillus fasciculatum n. sp. has been found as contaminant of Lab. cultures, on 30.10.1952 and again on 29.9.1954. It grows well in Czapek neutral agar, as well as in Malt agar and Potato-dextroseagar, less intensively in Corn steep agar.Other media have not been tried so far.It presents conidiophores smooth or rough, yellowish, septated or not, undivided or branching at the apex, supporting then 2 vesicles or yet with the apex trifurcated or turning into branches, each swelling to form vesicles, side by side, with single head conidiophores.Abnormal structures in which the sterigma becomes a second conidiophore with a vesicle, were found very common. Normal structures present vesicles with two and one series of sterigmata.Having its connections within the Flavus-oryzae group, by these outstanding characteristics not reported before, it was considered a new species.

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(Publicação No 5)

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Os autores agradecem aD. Marilene Maranhão Moreira, a colaboração prestada no curso dêste trabalho.     

First study of fossil rodent middens as source of paleoparasitological evidences (northwestern Patagonia,Argentina)

The present paper reports the first paleoparasitological results obtained from coprolites of fossil rodent middens and demonstrates the potential of rodent middens as a source of paleoparasitological evidences in South America. Ten fossil rodent middens from northwestern Patagonia, Argentina, were studied. Five coprolites of each midden were fully processed, rehydrated, homogenized, subjected to spontaneous sedimentation, and examined through light microscopy. Eight of the 10 examined rodent middens contained parasite eggs. The eggs of parasites were assigned to Heteroxynema (Cavioxyura) viscaciae Sutton & Hugot, 1989 and Helminthoxys sp. (Nematoda: Oxyuridae), Trichuris sp. (Nematoda: Trichuridae) and one unidentified nematode. Fossil rodent middens were assigned to Lagidium viscacia (Caviomorph: Chinchillidae). The excellent preservation of parasite remains in coprolites from fossil rodent middens provided an opportunity to perform paleoparasitological inferences. The results of this papers demonstrates that fossil rodent middens offer an excellent opportunity for the recovery of parasite remains for future paleoparasitological studies in the southwest of South America.     

Pectinase production by Penicillium frequentans

High activities of extracellular pectinase with viscosity-diminishing and reducing groups-releasing activities were produced by Penicillium frequentans after 48 h at 35°C, in agitated cultures supplemented with 0.5% citrus pectin and initial pH of 2.5. Under these conditions the fungus also produced high activity of pectinesterase. At an initial pH of 7.0 or 8.0, pectin lyase activity was also detected. Enzyme activity releasing reducing sugars was more stable at 50°C than viscosity-diminishing activity. Both activities were maximal at pH 2.5 to 5.2 and at 55°C.The authors are from the Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café, s/n^o, Bairro Monte Alegre, 14.049 Ribeirão Preto, S.P., Brazil.     

Macrauchenia patachonica Owen (Mammalia, Litopterna) de la région de São Raimundo Nonato (Piauí, Nordeste brésilien) et la diversité des Macraucheniidae pléistocènes

The São Raimundo Nonato (Piauí, Northeastern Brazil) area yielded about 50 Macraucheniidae remains. The study of this material and of other fossils from Northeastern Brazil (Paraíba, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte) shows a great similarity to Macrauchenia patachonica as it was defined in Argentina, which is the most abundant of the three species pertaining to the genus. Thus the taxon Xenorhinotherium bahiense created in 1988 by Cartelle et Lessa for a material discovered in the Bahia State and assigned to use for all the Quaternary Litopterns from tropical Brazil appears to be no more than a junior synonym of it. M. patachonica seems to have occupied very varied biotopes from sea level up to a high of 4000 m, and from the cold Southern Patagonia to the Equatorial Venezuela. The species lived from the Middle Pleistocene up to the beginning of the Holocene.     

Genital localization of South American Blastomycosis. A new case

Summary The authors describe a new case of genital lesion in South American Blastomycosis. They comment on the frequency of this localization quoted in Brazilian literature and the pathogenesis of the mycosis.

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Sumário Os autores descrevem um novo caso de lesão genital na Blastomioce Sulamericana. Comentam da frequência desta localização baseados na literatura Brasileira e da patogenia da micose.

     

Reproductive biology of Echinodorus longipetalus (Alismataceae): Sexual morphs,breeding system and pollinators

The floral biology, pollinators and breeding system of Echinodorus longipetalus Micheli were studied in a marshy area of the district of Taquaritinga (State of São Paulo), southeastern Brazil. E. longipetalus is gynodioecious and as far as is known, this is the first record of unisexual flowers, besides perfect flowers, in Echinodorus. Proportion of female individuals in the studied population is 50% and produces 31% more flowers than hermaphrodites. Perfect and pistillate flowers of E. longipetalus are similar in appearance and are pollinated by several species of Hymenoptera (mainly by Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) suspecta Moure & Camargo). Perfect flowers offer pollen as a reward. Pistillate flowers attract floral visitors by deceit with their staminodes that resemble the stamens of the perfect flowers. Visits to pistillate flowers are quick (1–2 s), while visits to perfect flowers last up to 120 s. The perfect flowers are self-compatible and produce fruits through spontaneous self-pollination (control flowers), whereas the pistillate ones only set fruits through cross-pollinations. Perfect and pistillate flowers set more fruits under natural conditions than in manual treatments, respectively. Although the pistillate and perfect flowers bear a strong similarity, the selective pollinator behavior seems to be responsible for the increase of fruit set in perfect flowers.     

Floristic comparison of mesophytic semideciduous forests of the interior of the state of São Paulo,Southeast Brazil

The floristic composition (trees) of 26 forests in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, was compared using cluster analysis and Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCO) with simple Euclidean distance. The results obtained indicate the existence of two floristically distinct groups of forests. One group contains forests from higher areas (above 700 m) with a colder climate (Cfa and Cfb) and includes surveys from Angatuba, Atibaia, Guarulhos, Jundiaí, São José dos Compos and São Paulo. The second group is floristically less homogeneous and includes forests of the central and western parts of the state, usually at lower altitudes (500–700 m) and subject to hotter climatic conditions (Cwa).