Advances in knowledge of the taxonomy of Brazilian Euphorbiaceae: a retrospective review of the first 20 years of the millennium

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Abstract
Euphorbiaceae is the largest family of Malpighiales. There are approximately 1,000 species in Brazil (60% of which are endemic), which makes Brazil the center of diversity for this group. Considering the breadth of the geographic distribution, the number of species and the economic and biological importance of Euphorbiaceae in Brazil, this study set out to analyze the progress of research on the taxonomy of Euphorbiaceae native to Brazil in the current millennium and to verify if there has been a quantitative advance in knowledge about this family. A total of 157 manuscripts published from 2001 to 2021 and involving taxa or the family as a whole was identified and examined. The results indicate a significant increase in papers published in the last seven years of this period, highlighting 2020, especially the discovery of new taxa (96). Moreover, some gaps have been filled with regard to the genera Actinostemon, Dalechampia, Gymnanthes, Manihot, Sapium and Sebastiania, which the literature in 2012 reported as understudied taxa. Despite the relevance and recent advances, published knowledge about the family is still out-of-date, with gaps as to the real range of its geographic distribution and the number of species throughout Brazil. Further studies are needed on the genera Acalypha, Cnidoscolus, Hevea and Jatropha.
Funding Information
  • Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (88887.805619/2023-00)

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