Flora of Rio de Janeiro state: an overview of Atlantic Forest diversity

Abstract Fully contained within the Atlantic Forest Biome, the state of Rio de Janeiro represents one of the greatest areas of diversity of vegetation physiognomy, habitats and plant species, including endemics. The flora of Rio de Janeiro state is recognized as one of the richest in the country and the state as an important center of endemism. These features have encouraged diferent botanical studies, highligthing Vellozo, Cysneiros, Glaziou, Gardner, among others, as precursor naturalists in exploration native forests. It is presented physiographic features of the state and brief retrospective of the Flora of Rio de Janeiro state project, which began in 2001, and consolidated in 2007 with a checklist prepared and made available online, and in 2011, with the implantation of the Catálogo de espécies de plantas vasculares e briófitas da flora do estado do Rio de Janeiro, with the participation of over 150 participants working online. Currently 334 families, 1,821 genera and, 8,203 species, subspecies and varieties have been recorded to the state, 1,740 of which are endemic. We highlight the vegetation formations, municipalities, conservation unities, and families of angiosperms, bryophytes, ferns and lycophytes families most diverse, as well as comments about monographic treatments already published. This special volume of Rodriguésia dedicated to the flora of Rio de Janeiro state presentes 19 families with 76 species of Angiosperms - Aizoaceae, Alismataceae, Asparagaceae, Ceratophyllaceae, Cabombaceae, Haloragaceae, Hydrocharitaceae, Hydroleaceae, Juncaginaceae, Lentibulariaceae, Mayacaceae, Menyanthaceae, Molluginaceae, Myristicaceae, Nymphaeaceae, Pontederiaceae, Potamogetonaceae, Rhizophoraceae e Typhaceae.