Riqueza y distribución de plantas vasculares endémicas de la provincia de Corrientes, Argentina

Abstract

Endemic species are those restricted to a specific geographical area, meaning they are exclusive to a region or locality. For the province of Corrientes (Argentina), the richness of endemic vascular plant species is not well known. Therefore, the objective of this study was to provide an updated list and conduct a detailed systematic and geographical analysis of these species. To this end, their distribution is described within the departments and phytogeographical regions of the Chaco and Amazonian Domains. A total of 35 endemic taxa were collected and identified, including 31 species, one subspecies, and three varieties, distributed across 24 genera and 16 families. The most represented families are Amaryllidaceae (nine taxa), Apocynaceae (four taxa), Iridaceae, and Portulacaceae (three taxa each). Herbs are predominant, followed by subshrubs and vines, primarily found in grasslands, riverbanks, and wetlands. The species are distributed across 19 of the 25 departments of Corrientes, with Santo Tomé, San Martín, and Ituzaingó being the richest in taxa. Phytogeographically, 31 species are found in the Chaco Domain and 11 in the Amazonian Domain. Additionally, it was detected that only eight species have been recorded in the last ten years, while the remaining taxa have older records. This study provides crucial information for future research related to the conservation of Corrientes’
endemic biodiversity.