FLORA OF NEW MEXICO. 



By E. O. WooTON and Paui, C. Standley. 



INTRODUCTION. 



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

 and vascular cryptogams at present known to occur witliin 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 pubhshed data, we know that the Hst is far 

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

 eastern United States, species wliich have been overlooked are stiU 

 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 coUectoi's extend theii' fields of exploration our present list of 2,975 

 species will be increased to far above 3,000. It is along the bordere 

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

 cially in the southeastern and southv/estern cornel's and in the high 

 mountains along the Colorado Hne, but isolated mountain ranges in 

 the interior probably liide endemic species still unknown. 



Various short accounts of New Mexico and Arizona plants were 

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

 however, are too incomplete and discomiected 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 

 State. The Botany of Western Texas, by Dr. J. M. Coulter,^ 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- 



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

 Nat. Herb. 13: 229-246. 1910. 

 2 Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 2. 1891-94. 



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