Discriminação de espécies de samambaias neotropicais (Polypodiaceae): uma abordagem integrativa

Abstract

The combination of techniques capable of discriminating plant species that are difficult to circumscribe is essential to the proper understanding of biodiversity. The genus Microgramma C.Presl (Polypodiaceae), for example, due to the great complexity of forms associated with the wide area of occurrence, becomes a group highly suggestive to the taxonomic investigation. Thus, we aim to propose processes of discrimination in species of neotropical ferns through integrative tools of great interest in the taxonomic field. We used near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) in thirteen species (M. baldwinii, M. crispata, M. dictyophylla, M. geminata, M. lindbergii, M. lycopodioides, M. megalophylla, M. percussa, M. persicariifolia, M. reptans, M. squamulosa, M. thurnii and M. vacciniifolia) and morphometric analysis with four species (M. crispata, M. geminata, M. mauritiana, and M. vacciniifolia). These are important methods for the discrimination of botanical species in association with multivariate analyzes, such as Discriminant Analysis, cross-validations, Canonical Discriminant Analysis (CDA), and Cluster Analysis (CA). Based on multivariate analyzes, the morphometric technique supported the existence of all previously recognized taxa, as well as the Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-NIR), with which we recovered more than 95% of correct prediction. Both applied techniques demonstrated a high potential for discrimination between the proposed species, demonstrating that the use of different approaches can favor clarification and discrimination between controversial groups.