Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica 201 
posal an excellent tool, of which we make only very simple use here. We are currently 
in the process of marking all species as to typical habit type according to the following 
categories: tree, shrub, vine, herb, epiphyte (including hemi-epiphytes and parasites). 
In this floristic context, trees and shrubs are defined according to height (woody plants 
> 4m, versus < 4 m, respectively). Vines include both woody and herbaceous plants, 
but substrate-clinging climbers such as many Asplundia, Monstera, and Philodendron 
species are considered epiphytes, as are species of Marcgraviaceae and the like, even 
though they may have elongate stems. Strangler figs (Ficus spp.) that usually end up as 
free-standing trees are counted as trees, whereas the numerous epiphytic Clusia spe- 
cies, that may occasionally be found as free-standing trees, are counted as epiphytes. 
Herbs, trees, and shrubs in this context refer to non-epiphytes, i.e., terrestrial species. 
Some species, especially of Anthurium, are versatile and may be found growing both 
as epiphytes and terrestrially; these are counted here as epiphytes, unless known to 
occur only rarely as epiphytes. Likewise, species that can be found fertile both as 
shrubs and trees are here counted as trees. 
16% 
27% 
16° 
ome Bejucos 
asiles Epifitas 
22% 
19% 
Fig. 2. Percentage of the total flora in five habit types. 
So analyzed, the herbaceous habit has the most species in the flora, followed by epi- 
phytes, trees, vines, and shrubs (see Fig. 2). The five families with the most tree species 
in Costa Rica are Fabaceae, Rubiaceae, Lauraceae, Melastomataceae, and Moraceae 
(in that order). The five with the most shrub species are Rubiaceae, Melastomataceae, 
Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Piperaceae. The five most diverse vine families are Faba- 
ceae, Convolvulaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Bignoniaceae, and Asteraceae. The five leading 
herb families are Poaceae, Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Orchidaceae, and Pteridaceae. 
Among epiphytes, Orchidaceae, Bromeliaceae, Araceae, Lomariopsidaceae, and Poly- 
podiaceae hold top honors (see Fig. 3, p. 205). In terms of genera, the two most diverse 
in each of the five habit categories (with their numbers of species of the particular habit 
type in parentheses) are as follows: 
