First record of Croton rottlerifolius Baill. (Euphorbiaceae) in Pernambuco state, Brazil—a warning for the protection of threatened Brejos de Altitude of the Caatinga domain

the journal of biodiversity data NOTES ON GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION 897 Academic editor: Juliana de Paula-Souza Received: 14 May 2025 Accepted: 9 September 2025 Published: 2 October 2025 Copyright © The authors. This is an open-access article distributed under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (Attribution 4.0 International – CC BY 4.0) Abstract. The occurrence of Croton rottlerifolius Baill. in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, is recorded here for the first time. Individuals of this species were collected in the municipality of Triunfo in a Brejo de Altitude, a type of humid forest found in some mountain ranges and plateaus of the Brazilian semi-arid region. This new record is essential for a better understanding of the geographical distribution and conservation of C. rottlerifolius in Brazil. Key words. Conservation, new occurrence, Northeast Brazil, semi-arid Gondim WJ, Santos MGP, Souza JVA, Pereira-Silva RA, Gomes APS, Melo AL (2025) First record of Croton rottlerifolius Baill. (Euphorbiaceae) in Pernambuco state, Brazil—a warning for the protection of threatened Brejos de Altitude of the Caatinga domain. Check List 21 (5): 897–901. https://doi.org/10.15560/21.5.897 INTRODUCTION Croton L., with around 1,200 species, is the second largest genus of Euphorbiaceae (Berry et al. 2005) and is distributed mainly in the tropical regions (Berry et al. 2005). The genus is represented by one subgenus in the Old World (Croton) and three subgenera in the Neotropical region (Adenophylli (Griseb.) Riina, B.W.van Ee & P.E.Berry, Geiseleria A.Gray, and Quadrilobi (Müll. Arg.) Pax), where 31 sections and 10 subsections are recognized (Van Ee et al. 2011). Croton subgen. Geiseleria sect. Cleodora (Klotzsch) Baill. is characterized by its woody habit, clear or reddish latex, a pair of nectaries at the apex of the petiole or at the base of the leaf blade, bisexual inflorescences, 15–25 stamens, pistillate flowers with imbricate sepals, united styles, commonly forming a conspicuous crown-like structure when dry, with a disjunct distribution across Mexico and Central America, northern and northwestern South America, and eastern Brazil (Van Ee et al. 2011; Caruzo and Cordeiro 2013). The section was revised by Caruzo and Cordeiro (2013), admitting 18 species in two subsections (Sphaerogyni Caruzo and Spruceani Caruzo) distinguished by the aestivation of pistillate flowers (imbricate in Sphaerogyni vs. quincuncial in Spruceani) and fruit shape (subglobose, usually trigonal in Sphaerogyni vs. globose or ellipsoid fruits, never trigonal in Spruceani). Croton rottlerifolius Baillon (1864), described from a specimen collected in Minas Gerais, Brazil in 1838 (Claussen n. 788), was placed in subsection Spruceani together with C. billbergianus Müll. Arg., C. fragrans Kunth, C. fragrantulus Croizat, C. hoffmannii Müll.Arg., C. orinocensis Müll.Arg., C. pseudofragrans Croizat, C. sexmetralis Croizat, and C. spruceanus Benth. In subsequent studies, 10 species were added to Croton sect. Cleodora: Riina et al. (2018) assigned C. amazonicus Müll.Arg., C. javarisensis Secco, C. loretensis Riina & Caruzo, C. nirguensis Riina & W. Meier, C. orinocensis Müll.Arg., C. perstipulatus G.L. Webster ex Caruzo & Secco, and C. santaritensis Huft. to subsection Spruceani, and C. gigantifolius P.E. Berry & Secco and C. viroleoides P.E. Berry & Secco were included in subsection Sphaero gyni; C. cantoensis R.F. Santos & Caruzo was assigned to subsection Sphaerogyni by Santos et al. (2024). A synopsis of Croton species occurring in Pernambuco was published by Silva et al. (2010), in which 35 species were recorded, but C. rottlerifolius was not mentioned, nor was the occurrence of this species verified in any subsequent survey on Euphorbiaceae or in general floristic lists in the state (Pereira et al. 2010; Pinto et al. 2012; Athiê-Souza et al. 2018). Caruzo and Cordeiro (2013) and Flora e Funga do Brasil (2025) 21 (5) · https://doi.org/10.15560/21.5.897 21 (5): 897–901 First record of Croton rottlerifolius Baill. (Euphorbiaceae) in Pernambuco state, Brazil—a warning for the protection of threatened Brejos de Altitude of the Caatinga domain Wanderson José Gondim1, Maria das Graças Pereira dos Santos1, José Victor Alves de Souza1, Rafaela Alves Pereira-Silva1, Ana Paula de Souza Gomes2, André Laurênio de Melo1 1 Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação, Av. Gregório Ferraz Nogueira, S/N - José Tomé de Souza Ramos, CEP: 56909-535, Serra Talhada, PE , Brazil 2 Faculdade de Formação de Professores de Serra Talhada, Av. Afonso Magalhães, S/N - Aabb, CEP: 56912-380, Serra Talhada, PE, Brazil Corresponding author: Rafaela Alves Pereira-Silva ([email protected]) Check List 21 (5) · https://doi.org/10.15560/21.5.897 Gondim et al. · Croton rottlerifolius from upland forest 898 considered C. rottlerifolius to be endemic to Brazil, occurring in the states of Bahia, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. This is the first record of C. rottlerifolius in Pernambuco, highlighting the importance of field collections and increased sampling efforts for the conservation of endemic species. METHODS Specimens of C. rottlerifolius were collected in Sítio Retiro (07°50′42.96″S, 038°04′59.12″W) in the municipality of Triunfo, Pernambuco, Brazil, in April 2025. Around 20 individuals were found in Brejo de Altitude vegetation, a humid, predominantly forested physiognomy surrounded by shrubby xerophytic vegetation known as Caatinga, which is prevalent in the Brazilian semi-arid region in areas of considerable elevation (500–1,200 m). Annual temperatures in Triunfo vary between 23° and 27° C, and annual rainfall between 640 and 1250 mm (MDA 2011). The fragment where the species was found covers around 10 ha and is privately owned. The vegetation of the site is predominantly arboreal, with canopy trees between 8 and 15 m high and some emergent trees over 20–25 m high. The forest is mainly made up of Picrasma crenata (Vell.) Engl. (Simaroubaceae), Ocotea prolifera (Nees & Mart.) Mez (Lauraceae), Cupania impressinervia Acev.-Rodr. (Sapindaceae), Casearia luetzelburgii Sleumer (Salicaceae), Coccoloba mollis Casar. (Polygonaceae), Guettarda sericea Müll. Arg. (Rubiaceae), and Tocoyena formosa (Cham. & Schltdl.) K.Schum. (Rubiaceae). In the understory, C. jacobinensis Baill. and C. pulegiodorus Baill. are found, among others. On the edge of the fragment, C. urticifolius Lam., C. heliotropiifolius Kunth, and C. hirtus L’Her. are also common. The soil has a clay–humus appearance and is rich in litter. Rock outcrops are also frequent. Fertile samples of C. rottlerifolius were collected and herborized following the usual methods in plant taxonomy of Mori et al. (1989) and identified based on specialized bibliography (Caruzo and Cordeiro 2013), as well as by analysis of type images deposited at A, G, and P on the JSTOR platform (2025). Additional specimens were examined from CEN, COR, HUEFS, SP, and SPF (all acronyms are according to Thiers et al. 2025 using images available on the Reflora-Virtual Herbarium (2025) and SpeciesLink (2025) platforms. The specimens collected in the field were deposited in the Herbário do Semiárido brasileiro (HESBRA) at the Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada (UFRPE-UAST). QGIS v. 3.34 (QGIS 2023) was used to create the species’ distribution maps, utilizing occurrence records from SpeciesLink and the literature. RESULTS Croton rottlerifolius Baill., Adansonia 4: 327. 1864. Figures 1, 2 New record. BRAZIL — Pernambuco • Triunfo, Sítio Retiro; 07°50′42.96″S, 038°04′59.12″W; 11 June 2025; fl., fr.; A. Laurênio et al.4312(HESBRA 7442). Additional examined materials. BRAZIL — bahia • Rui Barbosa, Serra do Orobó; 12°23′01″S, 040°31′45″W; 574 m a.s.l.; 20 Dec. 2020; L.P. Queiroz, T.A.B. Costa, D. Cardoso, E. Miranda, F.H. Nascimento 10005 leg.; HUEFS 91323 — mato Grosso do sul • Corumbá, Morro Bocaina; 19°02′08″S, 057°38′11″W; 260 m a.s.l.; 04 Sept. 1998; K.C.R. Proença, L.L. Teixeira, M.B. Santos, S.C. Sodré, K.X. Ayala 36 leg.; COR 5681 — minas Gerais • Triângulo Mineiro, Mata do Vasco; 05 Jan. 1993; A.L.P. Mota 1513 leg.; VIC 13988 • Santana do Riacho, APA Morro da Pedreira; 19°18′20″S, 043°36′58″W; 910 m a.s.l.; 18 Dec. 2014; G.M. Antar, I.S. Seto, I. Akemi-Borges, C. Farhat 593leg.; CEN 92664 • Santana do Riacho, Serra do cipó; 19°18′20″S, 043°36′58″W; 920 m a.s.l.; 17 Jan. 2007; J.R. Pirani, M.F.A. Calió, B.P.F. Loeuille, E.G. Martins 5559 leg.; SPF 179025; — são Paulo • Ribeirão Preto, Morro do Piripau; 21°07′49.98″S, 047°40′16.93″W; 4 Jan. 2002; O. Kotchetkoff-Henriques & A. Furlan 400 leg.; SP 366834 • Campinas, Mata da fazenda Santa Elisa; 22°53′34.68″S, 047°03′58.09″W; 653 m a.s.l.; 26.Jan.2015; OLM Silva, FS Petrongari, UG Fernandes 209 leg.;SP 472179 — rio de Janeiro • Cantagalo; 08 Dec. 1979; LEM Filho 5301 leg.; SP 441749. Identification. The species was identified by the adpressed-stellate trichomes; a pair of acropetiolar nectaries; plate-shaped, oval or broadly oval leaf blade; campanulate staminate calyx, with lobes united up to half their length, imbricate in prefloration; and globose-ellipsoid fruits. According to Caruzo and Cordeiro (2013), C. rottlerifolius can be further differentiated from other species of C. sect. Cleodora by its cylindrical, slightly grooved branches, and they recognized C. fragantulus and C. hoffmannii as the most morphologically similar to C. rottlerifolius. However, besides the differences mentioned above, C. fragrantulus is distributed in the Andes of Bolivia and Peru, while C. hoffmannii occurs in Costa Rica, French Guiana, Suriname, and Roraima state in Brazil. Check List 21 (5) · https://doi.org/10.15560/21.5.897 Gondim et al. · Croton rottlerifolius from upland forest 899 DISCUSSION Croton rottlerifolius was known to occur mainly in the Central-West and Southeast regions of Brazil, with a single record in the Northeast from the state of Bahia. This species is found at altitudes of between 260 and 920 m, in habitats such as the Atlantic Forest, transitional areas with the Cerrado, rupestrian fields, and high-altitude fields, which suggests a preference for mountain environments. This preference for high-altitude habitats is compatible with the physiognomy of its new occurrence in Pernambuco, a Brejo de Altitude. Currently, the species is known to have a large area of occurrence, over 100,000 km² (Figure 3); however, the number of records in Brazilian herbaria is still few. The population found in Pernambuco occurs in a fragment of Brejo de Altitude covering an area of only 10 ha. This habitat is under serious threat, such as deforestation caused by the urban expansion of Triunfo, the selective extraction of wood for fences and firewood, and the rearing of cattle loose in the forest, which trample and damage the seedlings. The combination of these factors increases the risk of the species disappearing locally. Thus, this discovery emphasizes the importance of the collection efforts to expand knowledge of the Brazilian flora, update the geographical distribution of endemic species, and assess their level of threat. This information is essential for proposing appropriate conservation measures. Figure 1. Croton rottlerifolius Baill. A. Specimen deposited in the HESBRA herbarium (HESBRA 7442). B. Detail of fruit in herborized specimen. C. Field image of the fruit. Figure 2. Geographical distribution of Croton rottlerifolius in Pernambuco, Brazil. Yellow triangle = new record; red circle = previous records. Check List 21 (5) · https://doi.org/10.15560/21.5.897 Gondim et al. · Croton rottlerifolius from upland forest 900 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Tallhada (UAST-UFRPE) for the contributions to logistics in the expeditions, and Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia de Pernambuco (FACEPE) provided Master’s scholarship to Wanderson José Gondim and the scientific initiation scholarship (PIBIC) to Maria das Graças Pereira dos Santos; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) provided research funding; André Luiz Alves de Lima helped in the logistics of field collections, and Fundação Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) provided PDPG-POSDOC scholarships to R.A. Pereira-Silva. We would also like to thank the reviewers and academic editor for reviewing this manuscript. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Conflict of interest The authors declare that no competing interests exist. Ethical statement No ethical statement is reported. Funding Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia de Pernambuco – FACEPE/ IBPG0727-2.01/24/ BIC-1856-2.03/24 for the scholarships awarded to the first and second authors. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq 407601/2023-6 for research funding and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for providing the grant 88887.805619/2023-00. Author contributions Conceptualization: ALM. Data curation: ALM, WJG, JVAS. Investigation: WJG, MGPS, JVAS, ALM. Supervision: ALM. Visualization: WJG. Writing – original manuscript: ALM, MGPS, WJG, JVAS, RAPS. Writing – review and editing: APSG, ALM, RAPS. Author ORCID iDs Ana Paula de Souza Gomes https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4567-1443 André Laurênio de Melo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4267-5818 José Victor Alves de Souza https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2472-6187 Maria das Graças Pereira dos Santos https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3114-7267 Rafaela Alves Pereira-Silva https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6622-8372 Wanderson José Gondim https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6827-2912 Data availability All data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text. Figure 3. Area of occupancy (AOO) of Croton rottlerifolius from Brazil. Check List 21 (5) · https://doi.org/10.15560/21.5.897 Gondim et al. · Croton rottlerifolius from upland forest 901 REFERENCES Athiê-Souza, AS, Melo JIM, Silva LP, Santos LL, Santos JS, Oliveira LSD, Sales MF (2018) Phanerogamic flora of the Catimbau national park, Pernambuco, Brazil. 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