Checklist of green algae (Chlorophyta) for the state of Mato Grosso, Central Brazil

Abstract

A checklist of Chlorophyta species was made from a bibliographic database in order to contribute to the knowledge of the biodiversity of algae in the state of Mato Grosso. The list records 563 species of the phylum Chlorophyta distributed in 105 genera, 38 families, 21 orders and seven classes. The class Zygnematophyceae has 386 species (16% of families), followed by Chlorophyceae with 154 species (55% of families). The other classes together contributed with 23 species (29% of families). The contributions of Desmidiaceae (52%), Closteriaceae (9%), Scenedesmaceae (9%) and Oocystaceae (5%) were noteworthy; the others were composed of no more than thirty species (25%). The genera with the highest number of species were Cosmarium (82 species), Staurastrum (55 species) and Closterium (53 species). This checklist of Chlorophyta corroborates the studies that highlight the high degree of richness of this phylum in the aquatic systems of Brazil.