A Taxonomic Revision Of The Genus Pourouma (Urticaceae)

Pourouma is a monophyletic lineage included in the tribe Cecropieae (Urticaceae). The genus is neotropical comprising 43 species. The greatest diversity of species occurs within the Amazon region, mainly in lowland tropical moist forest. It is characterized by dioecious trees, often with stilt-roots, leaves in spirals, entire or palmatilobed, stipules fused, fully amplexicaul, inflorescences in axillary, paired pleiochasia, pistillate perianth urceolate and achenes enclosed by the enlarged, fleshy perianth at maturity, with a persistent stigma. Based on taxonomic divergences between the specialist of the group and molecular analyses results (Treiber et al. 2016), we proposed this revision. We analyzed all protologue and types and more than 6,000 materials of national and international herbaria, for comparison of morphological characters, together with voucher samples acquired from multiple field trips. The nomenclature was reviewed of each taxon. Full synonymies and descriptions are provided as well as keys. Each species is illustrated and mapped. Conservation assessments are provided for each species, according to IUCN (2014).