Research in the Sierra Madre Occidental of Eastern Sonora, Mexico:

New and Endemic Plants from the Yécora Area

Thomas R. Van Devender and Ana L. Reina G.

The flora of the Municipio de Yécora contains at least 76 species of plants that are the first records for Sonora; some of these were reported in Reina G. et al. (1997). Many more are range extensions within the Río Mayo Region (Martin et al. 1998). The Yécora area has a very high rate of endemism considering that it is in the mainland Sierra Madre and not an isolated mountain range. Since 1977, plants new to science have been discovered regularly including 30 published and 15 unpublished taxa. New species discovered/published in the Municipio de Yécora during this study include the Agua Amarilla spider lily (Hymenocallis clivorum), a composite (Tridax yecorana), deer vetch (Lotus sp. nov., euphorbs (Croton yecorensis, Euphorbia sp. nov.), indigobush (Dalea sp. nov.), two locoweeds (Astragalus spp. nov.), a mint (Sphacele sp. nov.), Reina fleabane (Erigeron reinana), Trauba spiderling (Boerhavia traubae), Yécora chinchweed (Pectis vandevenderi), Yécora monkeyflower (Mimulus yecorensis), Yécora pine (Pinus yecorensis), Yécora purslane (Portulaca yecorensis), Yécora spike rush (Eleocharis yecorensis, and Yécora twinberry (Menodora yecorana). Bare areas in open pine-oak forest on the mudflow deposits of the Baucarit Formation support a surprisingly diverse flora including a number of new species.

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