Rodriguésia 70: e00232018. 2019 http://rodriguesia.jbrj.gov.br DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/2175-7860201970088 Original Paper Synopsis of Capparaceae to the flora of Colombia Jorge David Mercado-Gómez1,2,5,6, Mailyn Adriana González3 & María Eugenia Morales-Puentes4 Abstract A taxonomic synopsis of Capparaceae distributed in Colombia was carried out reviewing 1,800 botanical specimens from 13 herbaria in Colombia, five international institutions and close to 100 field collected specimens. We found 32 species and ten genera according to the last taxonomic modification proposed for this family. From these species, we reevaluated the conventional features used on the species identification, from which detailed description for each species and taxonomic keys were developed. In addition, geographic distribution maps in Colombia, and information about vernacular names and Neotropical distribution was added. Key words: Capparaceae, Neotropic, species, taxa, taxonomy. Resumo Foi realizada uma sinopse taxonômica de Capparaceae da Colômbia e sua distribuição com a revisão de 1.800 amostras botânicas de 13 herbários da Colômbia, cinco instituições internacionais e cerca de 100 amostras coletadas em campo. Foram encontradas 32 espécies e oito gêneros de acordo com a última modificação taxonômica proposta para esta família. A partir dessas espécies, reavaliamos as características convencionais usadas na identificação de espécies, a partir das quais se realizou uma ampliação de descrições detalhadas de cada espécie. Além disso, foram adicionados mapas de distribuição geográfica na Colômbia e informações sobre nomes vernáculos e distribuição neotropical. Palavras-chave: Capparaceae, Neotrópico, espécie, taxa, taxonomia. Introduction spinosa L., (Quattrocchi 2000). After describing Capparaceae is a family of approximately Capparis, Jussieu referred to the species of this 40–45 genera and 700–800 species distributed group using the unofficial name Capparides. in tropical and subtropical regions (Short 2011). In this sense, the family name Capparidae was In the Neotropics 19 genera and 104 species subsequently adopted in other taxonomic analyses are currently recognized (Cornejo & Iltis (Bentham & Hooker 1862; De Candolle 1824) 2008a,b,c,d,e, 2009, 2010c, 2013; Cornejo et al. and, finally years later was named Capparidaceae 2008). (Bullock 1958, 1959) and accepted by the Antoine Laurent de Jussieu described International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature Capparaceae in 1789 based on Capparis, from the (Lanjow & Sprague 1947). However, in 1961 the Greek Kapparis or Kappari and Latin Capparis, Montreal code established that the correct name which refers to shrubs or fruits of caper, Capparis is Capparaceae based on current nomenclatural See supplementary material at <https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.10141595.v1> 1 Universidad de Sucre, Depto. Biología y Química, Grupo Evolución y Sistemática Tropical, Cra. 28 #5-267, Puerta Roja, Sincelejo, Sucre, Colombia. 2 Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Depto. Ciencias Forestales, Carrera 65 Nro. 59A-110, Medellín, Colombia. 3 Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Lab. Genética de la Conservación, Calle 28a # 15-09, Bogota D.C, Colombia. 4 Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Herbario UPTC, Grupo Sistemática Biológica, Av. Central del Norte 39-115, Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia. 5 ORCID: <https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4619-0028> 6 Author for correspondence: [email protected] 2 de 23 Mercado-Gómez JD, González MA & Morales-Puentes ME rules, e.g., dropping -is from Capparis and (Judd et al. 1994). On the basis of these results adding -aceae (International Association for Plant Capparaceae was reduced to the level of Taxonomy CIdlNB 1961). This modification was subfamily and was included along with subfamily rejected by several authors who proposed keeping Cleomoideae in Brassicaceae s.l. Furthermore, Capparidaceae because it came from the historical other authors also suggested that Cleomoideae usage of Capparides, but the official name were more closely related with Brassicaceae than published by Jussieu was Capparis (Crosswhite with Capparaceae (Rodman et al. 1993, 1996). & Iltis 1966; Dugand 1968b). These results led Hall et al. (2002) to analyze Capparaceae, as Capparidaceae, was the phylogeny of Capparaceae and Brassicaceae divided by De Candolle (1824) into two subtribes using plastid genes, founding that Capparaceae Cappareae and Cleomeae, including 231 species s.l. was paraphyletic with respect to Brassicaceae. and 17 genera, these subtribes were accepted by However, evolutionary relationships within Bentham & Hooker (1862) and by Eichler (1865). Capparaceae s.str. remained unclear, because Subsequently, Pax (1891) changed the rank to the study by Hall et al. (2002) had limited subfamily Capparidoideae and Cleomoideae, as taxon sampling. Hall (2008) performed another well as incorporating other genera as additional phylogenetic analysis of Capparaceae using two subfamilies Dipterygioideae, Emblingioideae, plastid genes and including 15 more species. The and Roydsioideae. Years later, Pax & Hoffmann analysis clearly showed that Cleomoideae is more (1936) increased the number of subfamilies closely related to Brassicaceae with respect to to eight (Buhsioideae, Calyptrothecoideae, Capparoideae, which led Hall (2008) to suggest Capparidoideae, Cleomoideae, Dipterygioideae, a taxonomic revision separating the clades into Emblingioideae, Pentadiplandroideae, and three families, which were subsequently formally Podandrogynoideae) and increased the number of recognized by Iltis et al. (2011) as Capparaceae, genera to 45, twenty of which were monotypic. Cleomaceae, and Brassicaceae. Another important In addition, due to the fact that the subfamily outcome was that Capparis is paraphyletic, so it was Capparidoideae contained the greatest number of proposed to segregate the genus into smaller clades species, these authors recognized four subtribes, for nomenclatural stability and monophyly. In this Capparideae, Koeberlinieae, Maerueae, and way species of Capparis were segregated into two Stixeae. large lineages, e.g. Capparis s.str. clade, which is Nevertheless, Hutchinson (1967) in predominantly Old World, and a clade of entirely disagreement with the classification of Pax New World Capparis, the latter more closely related & Hoffmann (1936) proposed Capparidaceae to genera Atamisquea, Belencita, and Morisonia. with 32 genera and 440 species distributed in Nonetheless, there are no useful morphological three subtribes (Apophylleae, Cadabeae, and features for recognizing the New World taxa as a Capparideae), without recognizing subfamilies. single genus. On the basis of these results, Iltis and Hutchinson (1967) established this family in the Cornejo, in several publications, formalized the order Capparales. Cronquist (1981) maintained species of Neotropical capparoids as the following Capparales but changed the name of the family genera: Anisocapparis (1 species), Beautempsia (1) to Capparaceae, divided it into the subfamilies Calanthea (2), Caphexandrea (1), Capparicordis Capparoideae and Cleomoidae, and recognized (3), Colicodendron (6), Capparidastrum (19), 45 genera and 800 species. Likewise, Takhtajan Cynophalla (16) Hispaniolanthus (1), Mesocapparis (1997) supported the classification of Cronquist (1), Monilicarpa (2), Neocalyptrocalyx (7), (1981) but reduced the number of genera to 37 Preslianthus (3), Quadrella (25), and Sarcotoxicum and increased the species to 900; he also insisted (1) (Cornejo et al. 2014; Cornejo 2010; Cornejo & on adopting the name Capparaceae. Morton et Iltis 2005b, 2008b, c, e, 2009, 2010a, b, c, d; Galetti al. (1997) removed the genus Physena to its et al. 2016; Iltis 1965; Iltis & Cornejo 2007a, b, own family, Physenaceae, and transferred it to 2010a, b). There are no species of Capparis s.str. Caryophyllales. in the Neotropics. Subsequently, with molecular phylogenetic Over the last few years, several taxonomic analyses, the classification system of Capparaceae monographs of this family have been published, has changed. A few analyses have found a close mainly in Central America (Cornejo & Iltis relationship between the subtribe Thelypodieae 2012, 2013). In South America only new species of Brassicaceae and Cleome of Cleomoideae (Cornejo & Iltis 2005a, 2010d), taxonomic Rodriguésia 70: e00232018. 2019 Synopsis of Capparaceae 3 de 23 combinations (Cornejo & Iltis 2006, 2008a; Iltis in Colombia, employing Q-GIS® (3.0). We used 2005; Rodríguez-Rodríguez et al. 2007) and these dataset and maps to select locations that regionals flora (Soares Neto et al. 2014; Soares were mainly visited during 2015 and 2017 to Neto & Jardim 2015) have been published; collected plant specimens of Capparaceae. there has not been modern monograph including South American species. In Colombia, Triana Results and Discussion and Planchon (1862) recognized 21 species We found 32 species and ten genera in Capparideae (Capparaceae), distributed occurring in Colombia, from 1,800 specimens in Cartagena, Santa Marta, and close to the reviewed from herbarium and close of 100 wild Magdalena River. Subsequently, Dugand (1968a, collected specimens (supplementary material - 1941) published a monograph of the genus Table S1, available at <https://doi.org/10.6084/ Capparis in Colombia, as well as other studies m9.figshare.10141595.v1>). These species that reported the genus Belencita (Dugand 1944). mainly grow in lowlands over tropical dry forest, Cornejo