Resumen

NOGUERA-SAVELLI, Eliana  y  RUIZ-ZAPATA, Thirza.   Patrones de Distribución Geográfica de las Loasaceae en Venezuela. Ernstia [online]. 2006, vol.16, n.2, pp.95-110. ISSN 0252-8274.

The Loasaceae is represented by four genera in Venezuela: Gronovia L., Klaprothia Kunth, Mentzelia L. y Nasa Weigend, comprising nine species: Gronovia scandens L., Klaprothia fasciculata (K. Presl) Poston, Klaprothia mentzelioides Kunth, Mentzelia aspera L., Mentzelia fendleriana Urb. andGilg, Nasa lindeniana (Urb. and Gilg) Weigend, Nasa perijensis (Weigend) Weigend, Nasa triphylla (Juss.) subsp. papaverifolia (Kunth) Weigend and Nasa venezuelensis (Steyerm.) Weigend. The present study contributes to the knowledge of the family Loasaceae in Venezuela on the basis of literature and herbarium data, and observations in the field. The family is widely distribuited in the country, but found mainly in the Andes (bioregion de la Cordillera de los Andes) and Coastal Cordillera (bioregion Cordillera de la Costa). Altitudinal distribution ranges from 300 - 3200 m a.n.l., and includes a variety of habitats, such as dry forests, gallery forests, montane forests and cloud forest. Three of the native species are endemic to Venezuela, N. lindeniana, N. perijensis and N. venezuelensis, all restricted to the Andean region of Venezuela.

Palabras clave : Loasaceae; Venezuela; Geographical distribution.