Ornamental use of plants from the Restinga

Abstract

Upstate Rio de Janeiro restingas remain an open field for research on both richness and conservation of species. However, once vegetation there lies in privileged coastal areas, it is constantly threatened by real estate and industrial speculation. The beauty of its flora calls attention and arises the desire to take some local species to urban areas. Thus, the objective of this work is to identify species of plants from the restinga ecosystem which could be suitable for pot planting for landscaping use. Thirty different species were planted in pots containing soil, sand and manure as substrate and maintained for a period of one year. Along this time, variables such as plant height, number of leaves and diameter of the stem base were obtained. It was possible to identify the characteristics of each plant in relation to its adaptation to the potting environment, as well as to obtain information that might help choose species to properly fit the desired purpose of use.