Croton L. (Euphorbiaceae) no município de Cuité, Paraíba, Brasil.

Abstract

The genus Croton L. is the second largest representative of the Euphorbiaceae family, gathering about 1,200 tropical and subtropical species. As species of the genus are good representativeness for the brazilian semiarid and constituting important elements of the regional flora. However, as available information, survey awards were made in Bahia, Pernambuco and Sergipe. This work had as objective the accomplishment of the taxonomic inventory of Croton species occurring in the municipality of Cuité, Paraíba. Therefore, collections were carried out in the study area during the period from 2015 to April 2017. The material according to the usual procedures of herborization, identified and incorporated into the herbarium collection of the Education and Health Center of the Federal University of Campina Grande. Species identification keys, descriptions and comments on geographic distribution in the municipality were also developed. There were nine species of the genus Croton: C. adenocalyx Baill., C. blanchetianus Baill., C. echioides Baill., C. glandulosus L., C. heliotropiifolius Kunth., C. hirtus L'Her., C. tetradenius Baill., C.tricolor Klotzsch. and C. urticifolius Lam. The floristic survey of the genus without Cuité municipality also records new occurrences of C. adenocalyx Baill., C. blanchetianus Baill., C. echioides Baill., C. tetradenius Baill., C. tricolor Klotzsch. and C. urticifolius Lam. for a micro-region of Curimataú paraibano. The municipality is an important distribution center for Croton species, since it registers 29.03% of the species cited for the state of Paraíba.