he Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica is a concise, illustrated guide 
to all of the-species of native, naturalized, and commercially 
cultivated-seed plants of this Central American country, which lies 
between Nicaragua and. Panama and is thus centered in isthmian 
Central America a biogeographical funnel between Southhand North 
America, densely rich in species and geological history. The Manual is the 
first comprehensive Spanish-language accouftef the Costa Rican-flora. 
The work is presented in a series of-several volumes; Volume IL, inchiding 
all the gymnosperms and part of the monocots, is the first to appear, 
Volumen II. Gimnospermas y Monocotiledéneas 
(Agavaceae—Musaceae) 
Nearly one half of the species in this volume are distributed among three 
large, economically and ornamentally important families: theAraceae 
(Philodendron, etc.) with 248 species, the Arecaceae (thespalims) with 109 
species, and the Bromeliaceae (pineapple, etc,). with 195 species. In total, 
1125 species of monocots in 35 families-are presented, Gymnosperms, 
of low diversity in the tropics, with only five families and 13 species‘in 
Costa Rica that fit the Manuat’s general criteria of native, naturalized, or 
commercially cultivated, are fully treated. Besides brief formal descriptions 
and informal notes about each of a total of 40 families, 190 genera, and 
1136 species of seed plants, this identification manual contains kéys to all 
the gymnosperm and monocot families ‘treated in the series, as well as to 
the genera and species included within this volume. In all, 218 original line 
drawings and 40 black-and-white photographs illustrate the treatments, 
Barry Hammel is curator at the Missouri Botanical Garden, He has worked 
there since 1984, and at INBio since its beginning in 1989. He’lives in Costa 
Rica. Michael Grayum is curator at the Missouri BotanicalGarden, where he 
has worked since 1984. He lived in Costa Rica from 1984 to 1990 and now 
lives in Missouri. Cecilia Herrera has been the Manual project's assistant 
since its official beginning in 1987. Nelson Zamora is curator and head of 
the botany department at INBio, and has also been involved with the Manual 
project essentially since its beginning. 
Missouri Botanical Garden Press 
P.O. Box 299 
St. Louis, MO 63166-0299 
www.mbgpress.org 
Jacket design by Gobberdiel Graphic Design, St. Louis, Missouri 
Printed in the U.S.A. 
