Background:
The Gesneriaceae family in Mexico includes 26 genera and 118 species distributed principally in the southeastern part of the country. There are few studies of the family in the country, despite its ecological importance and potential as a source of ornamentals.
Question:
How many and which species of Gesneriaceae are there in Tabasco and where do they occur?
Study site:
State of Tabasco, Mexico, 2014-2019.
Method:
We updated the checklist of species and distribution of Gesneriaceae in Tabasco, based on exploration, collection of specimens, and review of herbaria and databases. Conservation status was estimated for each species under IUCN criteria, through the GeoCAT platform.
Results:
Ten genera and 16 species of Gesneriaceae were collected. The species are in the categories of vulnerable and near threatened (three each) and 10 are endangered. Taxon descriptions and identification keys are provided.
Conclusion:
Tabasco is the first state in Mexico with a checklist of Gesneriaceae, in which specific collections for gesneriads have been carried out, and the corresponding herbarium review. The exploration resulted in a 46 % increase in taxa recorded for the state, representing 38.4 % of genera and 14.4 % of species of gesneriads recorded for the country, although Tabasco is the southern state with the greatest loss of natural environments in the last 60 years.