FLORA OF NEW MEXICO. 



| IBS ' f ' 



By E. O. Wooton and Paul C. Standley. 



INTRODUCTION. 



This flora of New Mexico is a list of all the species of phanerogams 

 and vascular cryptogams at present known to occur within the State, 

 with keys to the families, genera, and species. Although we have 

 examined all the herbarium material easily accessible and have 



. endeavored to verify all published data, we know that the list is far 

 from complete. Even in the most carefully explored areas of the 

 eastern United States, species winch have been overlooked are still 

 coming to light and more careful study of more copious material is 

 increasing the number of recognized species. Much more are addi- 

 tional species to be looked for within the 122,000 square miles 

 embraced in the area of New Mexico, many large portions of which 

 have never been visited by any botanist* while even the most familiar 

 regions have not been thoroughly examined. Thus it is certain that 

 as collectors extend then - fields of exploration our present list of 2,975 

 species wall be increased to far above 3,000. It is along the borders 

 of the State that the greater number of additions will be found, espe- 



M cially in the southeastern and southwestern corners and in the high 

 mountains along the Colorado line, but isolated mountain ranges in 



5 the interior probably hide endemic species still unknown. 



Various short accounts of New Mexico and Arizona plants were 

 published by the earlier botanists of the United States. 1 These, 



^however, are too incomplete and disconnected to be of much use for 



•^identification purposes. Two or three more general works are avail- 



. ^-able for use in New Mexico, but none is complete for any part of the 



CsjState. The Botany of Western Texas, by Dr. J. M. Coulter, 2 contains 



descriptions of a majority of the plants of southeastern New Mexico, 



but the volume is not provided with keys to the species and the nomen- 



1 See, Paul C. Standley. A bibliography of New Mexican botany. Contr. U. S. 

 Nat. Herb. 13: 229 246. L910. 

 "Contr. U. 8. Nat. Herb. 2. 1891-94. 



