ISSNe 2528-7818

DOI: 10.54753/blc.v15i2

Volumen 15 | Número 2 | Año 2025

Revista Científica Indexada

BOSQUES

Latitud Cero

Editorial Universidad Nacional de Loja

Dirección: Ciudad Universitaria Guillermo Falconí. Loja - Ecuador

Cod. Postal: 110111 P.B.X: +593 7 254 7252

La Reserva de Producción de Fauna Cuyabeno, ubicada en el noreste de Ecuador, alberga una amplia diversidad de ecosistemas,

incluidos ríos, lagunas, pastizales y bosques. Este estudio se centra en la cuenca del río Lagartococha, con el objetivo de desarrollar

una guía fotográfica de su diversidad vegetal, destinada a las comunidades indígenas, turistas, guardaparques y guías. El trabajo

de campo realizado en marzo y julio de 2023 resultó en la recolección de 210 muestras de herbario y la identificación de 184

especies de plantas, incluidas nuevas especies registradas para Ecuador, como Actinostachys pennula y Heteropterys orinocensis.

Además, se recolectaron especies que podrían ser nuevas para la ciencia, como una especie de Unonopsis y dos especies distintas de

Annona. Aunque esta guía destaca la extraordinaria biodiversidad de la región y su potencial para descubrimientos botánicos, no es

exhaustiva y subraya la necesidad de realizar estudios florísticos más amplios. Los hallazgos reafirman la importancia ecológica de

esta área y enfatizan la relevancia de los esfuerzos de conservación en esta región de alto valor ecológico.

Palabras clave: Cuyabeno, Río Lagartococha, Diversidad, Taxonomía, Florística

distinct Annona species. While this guide highlights the region´s extraordinary biodiversity and potential for botanical discoveries,

it is not exhaustive and underscores the need for further comprehensive floristic studies. The findings emphasize the importance of

conservation efforts in this ecologically significant area.

Keywords: Cuyabeno, Lagartococha river, Diversity, Taxonomy, Floristics

The floristic composition of the reserve has been the subject

of various scientific studies, which have documented a

management of this unique ecosystem.

This study focuses on creating a photographic guide of the plants

of the Lagartococha River Basin for use by indigenous peoples,

tourists, park rangers, and reserve guides, to name a few. The

fieldwork was carried out during two separate field expeditions,

one during March and then in July 2023. Plant sampling spans an

area from the Garza Cocha lagoon to the mouth of the Aguarico

River, mostly collecting along the riverside and nearby terra

firme. Although a high level of diversity has been recorded,

this guide aims to facilitate the identification and appreciation

We recorded several species that are new records for

Ecuador. For example, Actinostachys pennula (Sw.) Hook.

(Schizaeaceae) was discovered growing with abundant organic

matter in Igapo ground vegetation, a species that was expected

to occur in Ecuador, but had previously only been recorded

orinocense (Kunth) Steud. (Bixaceae), only known previously

in Morona Santiago province (2008), and thus our collection

is a new record for Sucumbíos province. In addition, our

collection record for the filmy fern, Trichomanes tanaicum

J.W. Sturm (Hymenophyllaceae), is only the second known

locality in Ecuador and two species of Annonaceae are new

records for the country: Oxandra leucodermis and Unonopsis cf.

stipiata (Maas et al., 2003; Maas et al., 2007).

We also collected species that are potentially new to science.

One is a new species of Unonopsis, characterized by densely

flowered inflorescences.

The aquatic plant community is diverse along the Lagartococha

River; for example, we recorded two species of bladderworts

(Lentibulariaceae, Utricularia foliosa L. and U. inflata Walter),

that are specialized insectivorous free-floating herbs. The

aquatic grass, Hymenachne donacifolia (Raddi) Chase, forms

floating mats that flow along the river and lagoons and are eaten

by manatees. In addition, we collected three species of water

ferns: Ceratopteris pteridoides (Hook.) Hieron. (Pteridaceae),

that was collected for the first time, in the same locality, more

than 40 years ago; the mosquito fern (Azolla sp.); and the water

dense mats.

numbers of species in these taxa. Consequently, this guide is