Botanical validation of Ecclinusa (Chrysophylloideae: Sapotaceae) from forest remnants using molecular analysis as a complementary method to morphological identification

ABSTRACT In the context of a forest restoration program in a mining area in the eastern Brazilian Amazon, the objective of this study was to identify the species of trees of abiu-seringarana (Ecclinusa sp.) in forest remnants adjacent to the mine. As the identification of Ecclinusa based on external morphology alone is difficult, it was corroborated by molecular analysis. Leaf samples of three trees were compared with Ecclinusa in the Embrapa herbarium collection. DNA was extracted with a CTAB modified protocol for sequencing with ITS markers. Both the morphological identification and the alignment of the obtained sequences with material in GenBank indicated that the individuals belong to Ecclinusa guianensis, which is confirmed as the species occurring in the mining area.