An integrated assessment of the vascular plant species of the Americas

TLDR

The vascular plant flora of the Americas has been studied for half a millennium, with knowledge compiled in diverse regional floras and lists. The authors aim to compile a comprehensive, integrated list of all known native New World vascular plant species. They assembled the list into a publicly available, searchable database and provided distribution details across families, genera, and regions. The database contains 124,993 species, roughly one‑third of the global total, and new species are discovered at an average rate of 750 per year, indicating continual growth. Ulloa et al., Science, p.

Abstract

The vascular plants of the Americas Botanical exploration in the Americas has a history that stretches back for half a millennium, with knowledge assembled in diverse regional floras and lists. Ulloa Ulloa et al. present a comprehensive and integrated compilation of all known native New World vascular plant species (see the Perspective by Givnish). This compilation, in a publicly available, searchable database, includes 124,993 species—about one-third of the worldwide total. They further present details of the distribution of species across families and genera, the geographical foci of diversity, and the floristic relationships between regions. The rate of plant species discovery in the Americas averages almost 750 annually, so this valuable resource will continue to grow. Science , this issue p. 1614 ; see also p. 1535