CARIRIENSE HERBARY DÁRDANO DE ANDRADE-LIMA, CEARÁ (HCDAL) Maria Arlene Pessoa da Silva

Abstract

The Herbarium Caririense Dárdano de Andrade-Lima (HCDAL) is part of the Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA) and it was founded on September 19 1992. Currently is registered in the Brazilian Network Herbaria and indexed in the Index Herbarium with a collection of 12,228 records of vascular plants and 6,416 specimens inserted into BRAHMS. The HCDAL houses 144 botanical families, being the most representative: Fabaceae (916); Euphorbiaceae (300); Asteraceae (230); Myrtaceae (168) and Rubiaceae (167). The HCDAL houses representatives of the Flora of Araripe Plateau and various vegetation types in the Northeast and Brazil (Humid Forest, Cerrado, Cerradão, Caatinga, Carrasco and Gallery Forest). Next to HCDAL are developed major research projects aimed at a better understanding of the Northeastern flora, especially of Ceará, involving undergraduate and graduate students.