Vascular epiphytes in the Grumari restinga, RJ: floristic and similarities between restingas in Eastern Brazil

Abstract The community of vascular epiphytes in the Grumari restinga, Rio de Janeiro state, was evaluated through surveys carried out in 2014 and supplemented with herbarium material and publications. Thirty-seven (37) vascular epiphyte species were recorded, distributed in 21 genera and six families. The richest families are Orchidaceae and Bromeliaceae, which are the most representative ones (67.6% of all record species). The richness in Grumari restinga is greater than the other inventories carried out in the coastal plain of the Southeastern Region of Brazil, however, lower than that of restingas for São Paulo, Paraná and of the coastal plain of Rio Grande do Sul. The most representative ecological category was the characteristic holoepiphyte (62%); it was followed by the facultative and accidental holoepiphytes (18% each). The Grumari restinga shares more species with Espírito Santo state and Rio de Janeiro than with São Paulo and Southern Region of Brazil, possibly due to the geographical distance. Our study provides the first contribution to the knowledge about the epiphytic flora in Grumari restinga and shows a singular flora with 40% of unique species occurring in this location, fact that justifies its importance as conservation area.