List of endemic flora of Puerto Rico
Encyclopedia
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
flora of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. This list is sorted in alphabetical order by binomial names
Binomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
. Common names are in parenthesis.
Aquifoliaceae
- Ilex cookiiIlex cookiiIlex cookii is a species of plant in the Aquifoliaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States....
(Cook's Holly) - Ilex sintenisiiIlex sintenisiiIlex sintenisii is a species of plant in the Aquifoliaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States....
(Sintenis' Holly)
AsclepiadaceaeAsclepiadaceaeAccording to APG II, the Asclepiadaceae is a former plant family now treated as a subfamily in the Apocynaceae...
- Marsdenia ellipticaMarsdenia ellipticaMarsdenia elliptica is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is endemic to forests in Puerto Rico....
- Matelea borinquensisMatelea borinquensisMatelea borinquensis, known commonly as the San Lorenzo milkvine, is a species of plant in the Apocynaceae family. It is a forest plant, endemic to Puerto Rico, and is found in Cerro Pelucho, San Lorenzo....
- Matelea sintenisiiMatelea sintenisiiMatelea sintenisii, known commonly as the Sintenis' milkvine, is a species of plant in the Apocynaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, and is found in forests and moist districts....
- Matelea variifolia
AsteraceaeAsteraceaeThe Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
- Chromolaena borinquensis
- Critonia portoricense
- Koanophyllon dolicholepis
- Koanophyllon polyodon
- Mikania odoratissima
- Mikania porosa
- Vernonia proctoriiVernonia proctoriiVernonia proctorii is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name Proctor's ironweed. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where there are two populations. It is threatened by the destruction of its habitat...
BignoniaceaeBignoniaceaeThe Bignoniaceae, or Trumpet Creeper Family, is a family of flowering plants comprising about 650-750 species in 116-120 genera. Members of the family are mostly trees and lianas , shrubs and more rarely herbaceous plants. As climber plants, they are twine climbers or tendril climbers, and rarely...
- Crescentia portoricensisCrescentia portoricensisCrescentia portoricensis is a species of plant in the Bignoniaceae family. It is a perennial evergreen shrub endemic to Puerto Rico. It is threatened by habitat loss.C...
(Higuero de sierra) - Tabebuia haemantha
BoraginaceaeBoraginaceaeBoraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
- Cordia bellonis
- Cordia wagneriorum (Luquillo Mountain manjack)
CyatheaceaeCyatheaceaeThe Cyatheaceae is the scaly tree fern family and includes the world's tallest tree ferns, which reach heights up to 20 m. They are also very ancient plants, appearing in the fossil record in the late Jurassic, though the modern genera likely appeared in the Tertiary. Cyatheaceae is the largest...
- Alsophila amintae
- Alsophila bryophila
- Cyathea portoricensis
EuphorbiaceaeEuphorbiaceaeEuphorbiaceae, the Spurge family are a large family of flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7,500 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti....
- Acalypha bisetosa
- Acalypha portoricensis
- Hyeronima clusioides
FabaceaeFabaceaeThe Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
-Papilionaceae
- Calliandra locoensis
- Neorudolphia volubilis
- Poitea florida
GesneriaceaeGesneriaceaeGesneriaceae is a family of flowering plants consisting of ca. 150 genera and ca. 3,200 species in the Old World and New World tropics and subtropics, with a very small number extending to temperate areas. Many species have colorful and showy flowers and are cultivated as ornamental plants.Most...
- Gesneria citrina
- Gesneria cuneifolia
- Gesneria pedunculosa
MarcgraviaceaeMarcgraviaceaeMarcgraviaceae is a neotropical angiosperm family in the order Ericales.The members of the family are shrubs, woody epiphytes and lianas with alternate, pinnately-nerved leaves. The flowers are arranged in racemes. The flowers are accompanied by modified, fleshy saccate bracts which produce nectar....
- Marcgravia sintenisii (Bejuco de palma, Bejuco de lira, Bejuco de rana, Lira del Yunque, Pegapalma)
MelastomataceaeMelastomataceaeright|thumb|200px|Characteristic venation of many melastomesThe family Melastomataceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants found mostly in the tropics comprising some 200 genera and 4500 species...
- Henriettea membranifoliaHenriettea membranifoliaHenriettea membranifolia is a species of plant in the Melastomataceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on August 21, 2007....
- Heterotrichum cymosum
- (?)Sagraea portoricensis (Puerto Rico hogwood)
MyrtaceaeMyrtaceaeThe Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
- Calyptranthes acevedoi
- Calyptranthes estremerae
- Calyptranthes luquillensisCalyptranthes luquillensisCalyptranthes luquillensis is a species of plant in the Myrtaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
(Luquillo Forest Lidflower) - Eugenia eggersii
- Eugenia haematocarpaEugenia haematocarpaEugenia haematocarpa is a rare species of plant in the Myrtaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico. It is federally listed as an endangered species of the United States. Its common names include uvillo and Luquillo Mountain stopper....
- Eugenia padronii
- Eugenia stewardsonii
- Marlierea sintenisiiMarlierea sintenisiiMarlierea sintenisii is a species of plant in the Myrtaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Myrcia margarettaeMyrcia margarettaeMyrcia margarettae is a species of shrub in the family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to Puerto Rico. It reaches a height of 4-5 metres....
- Myrcia paganiiMyrcia paganiiMyrcia paganii is a species of plant in the Myrtaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.Myrcia paganii is listed as endangered by the United States and Puerto Rico. It is classified as a perennial tree or shrub. There is a US Fish and Wildlife recovery plan in process.-External links:* World...
- Psidium amplexicaule
- Psidium sintenisiiPsidium sintenisiiPsidium sintenisii is a species of plant in the Myrtaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico. Locally known as hoja menuda, it is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Hoja Menuda)
OrchidaceaeOrchidaceaeThe Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
- Brachionidium ciliolatum
- Leochilus puertoricensis
- Lepanthes caritensis
- Lepanthes eltoroensisLepanthes eltoroensisLepanthes eltoroensis is a rare species of orchid known by the common name Luquillo Mountain babyboot orchid. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is known to exist at six sites within El Yunque National Forest in the Luquillo Mountains. It is named for the El Toro Trail in the mountains...
(Luquillo Mountain babyboot orchid) - Lepanthes woodburyana
- Lepanthes caritensis
- Psychilis kraenzlinii
- Psychilis krugii
- Psychilis monensis
- "Lepanthes stimsonii"
PassifloraceaePassifloraceaePassifloraceae is a family of flowering plants, containing about 530 species classified in around 18 genera. They include trees, shrubs, lianas and climbing plants, and are mostly found in tropical regions....
- Passiflora tulaePassiflora tulaePassiflora tulae, the pink passion flower, is a species in the Passifloraceae.It is native to Puerto Rico.-References:...
PolypodiaceaePolypodiaceaePolypodiaceae is a family of polypod ferns, which includes more than 60 genera divided into several tribes and containing around 1,000 species. Nearly all are epiphytes, but some are terrestrial.-Description:...
- Asplenium corderoanum
- Tectaria estremeranaTectaria estremeranaTectaria estremerana is a rare species of fern known by the common name Puerto Rico halberd fern. It is endemic to Puerto Rico. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States....
- Thelypteris abdita
- Thelypteris hildae
- Thelypteris inabonensisThelypteris inabonensisThelypteris inabonensis is a rare species of fern known by the common name cordillera maiden fern. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is known from only two localities. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States....
- Thelypteris rheophyta
- Thelypteris verecundaThelypteris verecundaThelypteris verecunda is a rare species of fern known by the common name Barrio Charcas maiden fern. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is known from only three localities. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States....
- Thelypteris yaucoensisThelypteris yaucoensisThelypteris yaucoensis is a rare species of fern known by the common name Puerto Rico maiden fern. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is known from only three localities. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States....
RubiaceaeRubiaceaeThe Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
- Antirhea obtusifolia
- Antirhea portoricensisAntirhea portoricensisAntirhea portoricensis is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 20 August 2007....
- Antirhea sintenisiiAntirhea sintenisiiAntirhea sintenisii is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 20 August 2007....
- Mitracarpus maxwelliaeMitracarpus maxwelliaeMitracarpus maxwelliae is a rare species of flowering plant in the coffee family known by the common name Maxwell's girdlepod. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is known only from the Guánica Commonwealth Forest in Guánica. It grows in only one location in a coastal scrub forest and dwarf...
- Mitracarpus portoricensis
- Randia portoricensisRandia portoricensisRandia portoricensis, known commonly as the Puerto Rico Indigoberry, is a species of shrub in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, and is found in thickets and semi-dry forests....
- Rondeletia inermis
SapotaceaeSapotaceaeSapotaceae is a family of flowering plants, belonging to order Ericales. The family includes approximately 800 species of evergreen trees and shrubs in approximately 65 genera . Distribution is pantropical....
- Chrysophyllum pauciflorum
- Manilkara pleeanaManilkara pleeanaManilkara pleeana is a species of plant in the Sapotaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico....
- Micropholis garciniifoliaMicropholis garciniifoliaMicropholis garciniifolia is a species of plant in the Sapotaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is known as caimitillo verde. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss.-Sources:...
- Sideroxylon portoricense
SimaroubaceaeSimaroubaceaeThe Simaroubaceae is a small, mostly tropical, family in the order Sapindales. In recent decades it has been subject to much taxonomic debate, with several small families being split off...
- Simarouba tulae
Ternstroemiaceae
- Ternstroemia luquillensisTernstroemia luquillensisTernstroemia luquillensis is a species of plant in the Theaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 9 August 2011....
(Palo Colorado) - Ternstroemia subsessilisTernstroemia subsessilisTernstroemia subsessilis is a species of plant in the Theaceae family. It is endemic to Puerto Rico. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 9 August 2011....
See also
- Fauna of Puerto RicoFauna of Puerto RicoThe fauna of Puerto Rico is similar to other island archipelago faunas, with high endemism, and low, skewed taxonomic diversity. Bats are the only extant native terrestrial mammals in Puerto Rico. All other terrestrial mammals in the area were introduced by humans, and include species such as cats,...
- List of endemic fauna of Puerto Rico
- Grasses of Puerto RicoGrasses of Puerto RicoThe grass family Poaceae is the largest group of flowering plants present on the island of Puerto Rico. With 258 species, it represents 9% of all Angiosperms and 33% of all Monocots....
- San Juan Botanical GardenSan Juan Botanical GardenThe San Juan Botanical Garden, also known as the Botanical Garden of the University of Puerto Rico, is located in the Caribbean city of San Juan, capital of Puerto Rico. This lush “urban garden” of native and exotic flora serves as a laboratory for the study, conservation and enrichment of...