Aechmea ruiz & pav. (Bromeliaceae) do banco de germoplasma de bromélias da Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura depositados no herbário HURB

Abstract

Bromeliaceae has 78 genera with approximately 3,648 species and is distributed across the Neotropical region, with a single species occurring on the west coast of the African continent, Pitcairnia feliciana (A.Chev.) Harms & Mildbr. The family is divided into eight subfamilies, with Bromelioideae being the largest in number of genera, with ca. 40 genera in 991 species distributed in tropical and subtropical America. Within this subfamily, Aechmea Ruiz & Pav. is the genus that holds the largest number of species, with ca. 243 species. In view of the importance of the family in the balance of ecosystems, in food (pineapples), in landscaping, among others, the conservation of these species is highly relevant. Thus, Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura maintains a Bromeliaceae Germplasm Bank (BGB Bromélia) with 1,187 conserved accesses in a screened condition. The objective of this work was to carry out a taxonomic survey of the species belonging to the genus Aechmea of the BGB Bromélia through the morphological characterization of the species. The work was carried out with material deposited at the Herbário do Recôncavo da Bahia (HURB), in addition to the study of material under cultivation at BGB Bromélia. 19 species of Aechmea were studied. Of these, 15 are endemic to Brazil and one species is Critically Endangered. Some characteristics were important for the characterization of the species, such as the presence of trichomes, the color of the leaves, type of inflorescence and the shape and surfaces of the bracts in general. From the study, taxonomic comments and an identification key were produced, as well as images of the species. The realization of this work made it possible to study and highlight, through morphology, the species of Aechmea, contributing to its recognition aiming at future conservation works.