ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess


Abstract Number: 5683
Poster No. = 670


THE GENUS PINGUICULA (LENTIBULARIACEAE) IN MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA.


Sergio Zamudio. Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Centro Regional del Bajío. Apartado Postal 386, 61600 Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, México.


Taxonomic studies in Pinguicula, published after Casper's monograph (1966), have increased the number of species known from Mexico and Central America from 13 to 36, revealing that the region concentrates the largest number of species of the genus in the world. More than 80% of the species are restricted to Mexico and only 5 grows in Central America. Consequently, Mexico is to be considered as the main center of diversification of the genus. The species are distributed along the mountainous regions of Mexico and Central America, mainly in conifer, oak and cloud forests, only few can be found in tropical deciduous forests and xerophilous shrublands. Many species are rare and have very restricted distribution, some are known only from the type locality and from a single collection. In spite of the realized effort, some taxonomic problems on subgeneric level still remain to be solved and a number of new species await their description. Nowadays the reproductive biology and ecology of these plants are practically unknown.


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