Parque Nacional da Serra do Itajaí ( southern Brazil ) shrub and herbs flora

This paper aim to characterize the herbaceous and shrub species diversity of Parque Nacional da Serra do Itajaí (PNSI). We identified 643 herbaceous and shrub species distributed in 110 families being the most representative family Asteraceae (62 species), Melastomataceae (49) and Rubiaceae (30), besides a two new records for Santa Catarina (Thelypteris glaziovii T.F. Reed and Pseudelephantopus spiralis Cronquist). We recorded 22 exotic species. Thus, due to the vast diversity of life and the rather large territory, PNSI is one of the most important spots for biodiversity conservation in Santa Catarina. DOI: 10.15560/10.6.1249

regeneration. The climate is tropical humid with no dry season and thermal averages never below 15°C. Rainfall are abundant and evenly distributed throughout the year, however, there is a period of more intense rain during the summer, with less than 60 days with less than 100 mm rainfall. The relative humidity is high, ranging from 84-86% (Santa Catarina 1986).

Data collection
We collected fertile specimens by active search (Filgueiras et al.1994), in previously mentioned locations. One to three fertile individuals of each species were collected and, after processed, deposited at the Herbarium Dr. Roberto Michael Klein (FURB). When necessary, we collected sterile samples, and these were grown in a greenhouse until flowering. We identified the material searching in the literature, discussing with taxonomists and compared it to materials with other herbaria collections. Angiosperm species were classified according to the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III (APG 2009), ferns according to Smith et al. (2006) and adaptations of Rothfels et al. (2012), Kramer and Green (1990) for Lycophytes and Christenhusz et al. (2011) for Gymnosperms.
We compiled data published in Flora Ilustrada Catarinense (Reitz 1965), and herbariums FURB, FLOR, HBR, BHCB, CESJ, CNMT, CRI, FUEL, HEPH, HUCS, HVAT, ICN, JOI, LUSC, MBM, MFS, RB, UEC and UPCB through the CRIA database, aiming to increment the herbaceousshrub list species already sampled at PNSI. We considered in this study all vascular plants with a height equal to or less than 3 m that were using soil or rocks as substrate. We analyzed: species reported in the literature and collected species, new records for PNSI, new records for the state, exotic species, threatened species included at national and state red lists.
We classified the PNSI species by life form according to Raunkiaer (1934). A collector curve ( Figure 2) was generated to determine if the species are well sampled. Field trips were made over a half year, during the warm season (September to April), to collect the specimens in reproductive stage. Plants which were not determined at species level were excluded from analysis to avoid overestimating the number of species.
A total of 215 herbaceous and shrubs species (33.17%) were not collected in this study, when compared to   literature or CRIA data base. We found during the field trips 428 species, and 217 (33.74%) are new records for PNSI.
From the 643 species recorded in this study, 22 were exotic species (Table 1). We also found five threatened species and a new species of Rhynchospora Vahl is been described.

Discussion
The importance of this Protected Areas for Atlantic Subtropical Rainforest (southern Brazil) biodiversity protection is proved, once again, by its richness. Adding up the tree species researched by the Management Plan of PNSI (Brasil 2009), where 340 tree and shrub species were recorded, as well as collections made by other researchers in PNSI, until now there were recorded 1,086 species of vascular.
The new record Thelypteris glaziovii had already been reported by Ponce (1998) in Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul states, but no voucher was presented. Salino and Semir (2004) reduced its distribution only to southeastern Brazil, and more recently over a collection in Serra do Capivari, Campina Grande do Sul (Paraná), Schwartsburd and Xavier de Lima (2008) increased its distribution to Paraná state. Now we can confirm the reported made by Ponce (1998). Pseudelphantopus spiralis is a small ruderal herb, which a population of aproximated five individuals was found in a short stretch of the Spitzkopf's trail. Is quoted by flora of Brazil with distribution in the states of Bahia, São Paulo and Acre. Possibly, as it is similar with ruderal species Elephantopus mollis, is poorly sampled.
Most of these exotic species were found near Spitzkopf, where in the past, some areas were used for agriculture and cattle. Likely, intense visits in the other areas studied may explain the fact, since many exotic species are closely related to human presence, current or past (Wright 2005).
In the tracks margins we found some important invasive species such as Impatiens walleriana and Hedichyum coronarium with dense populations close to watercourse.
Five species in the PNSI are threatened, that is why we should consider important the conservation of this area. Two of these were already known by previous collections for PNSI, especially xaxim-bugio (Dicksonia sellowiana Hook.), as quoted by Gasper and Sevegnani (2010), classified as Critically Endangered (CR) in SC state and in Brazil as Vulnerable (VU), especially due to commercial exploitation (Windisch 2002). Heliconia farinosa Raddi (VU) is treated as threatened on the national list of IBAMA (2008), but apparently it is a common species in PNSI, often found in lowland areas, next to watercourses. Microlepia speluncae (L.T. Moore) was considered probably extinct (EX) in the state list of endangered species, but we found a small population in RPPN Bugerkopf. Piper ulei C. DC. (VU) was also found in a location close to a watercourse in Morro do Sapo, where there were some individuals, and finally, Vanilla dietschiana (Edwal) Garay. (VU) was found only once, an individual with several vegetative seedlings, from which a sample was collected in RPPN Bugerkopf.
According to the samples curve, the number of species for PNSI is not stabilized, since it remained tilted, showing that the Parque Nacional da Serra do Itajaí is a extremely rich area, and 1,086 vascular plant species does not express its real richness. PNSI represents 0.6% of the state territory, yet its richness corresponds to nearly 22.6% of the total species described in Santa Catarina. Thus, we confirm the need for more research in the field in order to try to unravel the true biodiversity that this area hosts. The presence of three species categorized as threatened, and two new records for the state, besides a new species reinforces the importance of this area for the conservation of Atlantic Subtropical Rainforest remnants. On the other hand, the presence of exotic species points out this area vulnerability, especially in areas of strong human influence.