Datos para la apreciación de la flora fanerogámica del bosque tropical caducifolio de méxico

Abstract

A list of 749 genera of flowering plants containing at least one species that grows exclusively or preferentially in the tropical deciduous forest (tdf) of Mexico is provided. The Leguminosae is the best represented family, followed by Compositae and Gramineae, Malvaceae, Orchidaceae and Apocynaceae. The floristic composition of Mexican tdf often differs greatly from one locality to another. According to the literature, at least 96 tree genera are reported with species that are dominant or quantitatively important in inventories made in different parts of the country. The geographical affinities of the flora of tdf indicate strong relationships to those of Central and South America. 7.9% of the genera are endemic to the political limits of Mexico and this number rises to 19.2% if Central America is also included as reference. The existence of tdf of Mexico dates at least from Early Cenozoic and its present flora, although furnished by exchanges from different sources, is primarily the result of long and intense evolutionary processes within itself.