Elucidating the controversial Drosera montana complex (Droseraceae): a taxonomic revision

author for correspondence The species of the affinity of Drosera montana (Droseraceae) are reviewed taxonomically and the complex is redefined t

Flora da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais:: Ebenaceae

O estudo taxonômico de Ebenaceae é apresentado como parte do projeto Flora da Serra do Cipó (Minas Gerais, Brasil). Na região, a família é representada por quatro espécies do gênero Diospyros: D. inconstans, D. ketun, D. lasiocalyx e D. sericea. O tratamento taxonômico conta com descrições, ilustrações e comentários sobre habitat, distribuição e fenologia, além de uma chave de identificação para as espécies.The taxonomic study of Ebenaceae is presented as part of the “Flora of the Serra do Cipó” project (Minas Gerais, Brazil). The region contains four species of the genus Diospyros: D. inconstans, D. ketun, D. lasiocalyx and D. sericea. The taxonomic treatment includes descriptions, illustrations and comments about habitat, distribution and phenology, and an identification key for species

Flora da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais: Costaceae

O estudo de Costaceae integra o projeto “Flora da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, Brasil”. A família está representada na Serra do Cipó por duas espécies: Chamaecostus subsessilis (Nees & Mart.) C.D.Specht & D.W.Stev. e Costus spiralis (Jacq.) Roscoe. São apresentadas chaves para os gêneros, descrições e ilustrações, além de comentários sobre distribuição geográfica e aspectos ecológicos das espécies

Flora da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais: Marcgraviaceae

O estudo de Marcgraviaceae integra o projeto “Flora da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, Brasil”. A família está representada na área por duas espécies: Schwartzia adamantium (Cambess.) Bedell ex Gir.-Cañas e Marcgravia polyantha Delpino. São apresentadas chaves para os gêneros, descrições e ilustrações das espécies, além de comentários sobre distribuição geográfica, variabilidade e aspectos ecológicos

Flora da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais: Bixaceae

O estudo de Bixaceae está incluído no projeto “Flora da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, Brasil”. A família está representada na Serra do Cipó pela espécie Cochlospermum regium (Mart. ex Schrank) Pilg. São apresentadas descrição, ilustrações e comentários sobre a distribuição geográfica e aspectos ecológicos dessa espécie

Teaching of Botany in higher education: representations and discussions of undergraduate students

The teaching of botany is characterised as being taught in a technical and uninteresting way for students. The objective of this work is to find out what students think of the way Botany is taught and their views on this as students and in the future as teachers. To achieve this objective an open questionnaire was given to first year undergraduate students studying Biological Sciences. Two hundred and twenty one students from four different Universities filled in the questionnaire. From the results collated, students in our sample were in favour of a more practical teaching of Botany, however if they were the teachers they would teach more theoretically. This shift of position (from student to teacher) brought about a change in the way Botany would be taught, as it changed the perspective, in spite of the players being the same. This work has pointed out that the representation of a concept can vary depending on the subject’s point of view and that it is important to pay close attention to the training of these future Biology teachers.CIEC – Research Centre on Child Studies, IE, UMinho (FCT R&D unit 317), PortugalNational Funds through the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) and co-financed by European Regional Development Funds (FEDER) through the Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program (POCI) through CIEC (Research Centre on Child Studies, of the University of Minho) with the reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007562Strategic Project UID/CED/00317/201

Higher education biology students’ conceptions on botany teaching : a Brazil – Portugal case study

Generally, the teaching of botany is seen as mainly based on the transmission of knowledge and on empirical-logical thinking, in a context of scientific knowledge and with the purpose of affirming truth about the world. From this perspective, both in Brazil and in Portugal botany is usually seen as a list of scientific names remote from the daily life of students, which might make classes demotivating. This project was designed with the aim of understanding the prior conceptions of higher education students training to be biology teachers. It was based on a questionnaire that allowed open answers, completed by students in the beginning of their degree. The purpose of this questionnaire was to collect data that would show how students understood teaching in general and botany teaching in particular, and how they conceived the teachers’ role in the development of their knowledge of teaching methods. Data showed that Brazilian students considered the teaching of botany as a theoretical subject that was followed by a practical component. The practical classes were based on demonstration of what had previously been explained in theory. The Portuguese students considered the teaching to be more practical. Teaching was seen as based on practice and classes were more dynamic and fostered interaction. All students said that the teacher was a source of knowledge who also encouraged practice, which made teaching essential for their training. However, Portuguese students stressed that teachers should motivate students to see botany as a field of knowledge.CIEC – Research Centre on Child studies, UM (FCT R&D 317

Flora of the Serra do Ouro Branco, Minas Gerais: Myrtaceae

Myrtaceae é uma das famílias mais representativas da flora brasileira, fato que não tem sido acompanhado por um número expressivo de trabalhos taxonômicos. O presente estudo teve como objetivo realizar o tratamento taxonômico para a família na Serra do Ouro Branco, o ponto mais ao sul da Serra do Espinhaço. Foram registrados 10 gêneros e 24 espécies para a região: Accara (1 sp.), Blepharocalyx (1 sp.), Calyptranthes (2 spp.), Campomanesia (2 spp.), Eugenia (2 spp.), Marlierea (2 spp.), Myrceugenia (2 spp.), Myrcia (10 spp.), Psidium (1 sp.), Siphoneugena (1 sp.). São apresentados chaves de identificação, descrições e comentários sobre gêneros e espécies

Bixaceae do Estado do Paraná, Brasil

This study provides a floristic survey of the Bixaceae from Paraná State. The family is represented in the area by two species: Cochlospermum regium (Mart. ex Schrank) Pilg., native from the remnants of the Cerrado biome, and Bixa orellana L., which has an uncertain origin but occurs sub-spontaneously in Paraná State. Descriptions, an identification key, photographs, and comments on the taxonomy of these species are provided.Este trabalho apresenta o tratamento florístico de Bixaceae para o Estado do Paraná. A família está representada por duas espécies: Cochlospermum regium (Mart. ex Schrank) Pilg., nativa dos remanescentes de Cerrado; e Bixa orellana L., de origem incerta, mas subespontânea no Estado do Paraná. São apresentadas descrições, uma chave de identificação para as espécies, pranchas fotográficas e comentários taxonômicos

Chemical profile of the polar extract of Paepalanthus microphyllus (Guill.) Kunth (Eriocaulaceae)

Do extrato etanólico dos capítulos de Paepalanthus microphyllus, isolou-se um derivado do ácido cafeico (1). Sua estrutura foi caracterizada por métodos espectroscópicos (RMN mono e bi-dimensionais) e por espetrometria de massas Electrospray. Foram, também, isolados outros três flavonóides (2-4) de interesse taxonômico, os quais foram identificados por métodos espectroscópicos e comparados com dados da literatura.From the ethanolic extract of the capitulae of Paepalanthus microphyllus, one caffeic acid derivative (1) was isolated. The structure of the compound was characterized by spectroscopic methods, mainly 1D and 2D NMR experiments, as well as ESMS spectrometry. In addition, three flavonoids of taxonomic relevance were isolated and identified by comparison to literature data