BACKYARD NATURE HOME | WHO WE ARE
PLANTS | ANIMALS | ECOLOGY | FUNGI | GEOLOGY | GARDENING | TOOLS
MEXICAN PLANTS & ANIMALS HOME

 SHORTCUTS TO IMPORTANT PLANT FAMILIES: 

MONOCOTS:
BROMELIAD FAMILY | ORCHID FAMILY | GRASS FAMILY
DICOTS:
BEAN FAMILY | CACTUS FAMILY | COMPOSITE/ DAISY FAMILY | HIBISCUS FAMILY | VERBENA FAMILY

MONOCOTS: grasses, sedges, lilies, orchids (leaves usually parallel-veined)

• Agave, Caribbean (Agave angustifolia)
• Anthurium (Anthurium schlechtendalii)
• Boat Lily (Tradescantia spathacea)

• BROMELIADS
  • Aechmea bracteata
  • Piñuela #1(Bromelia karatas)
  • Piñuela #2 (Bromelia pinguin)
  • Tillandsia (Tillandsia brachycaulos)
  • Tillandsia (Tillandsia fasciculata)
  • Tillandsia (Tillandsia elongata)

• Burhead (Echinodorus subalatus)
• Burhead (Echinodorus berteroi)
• Callisia (Callisia cordifolia)
• Cattail, Southern (Typha domingensis)
• Cipura (Cipura campanulata)
• Copperleaf, Cuban (Acalypha setosa)
• Dayflower, White-mouthed (Commelina erecta)
• Duckweed (Lemna aequinoctialis)
• Echeandia luteola
• Hurricane-Grass (Fimbristylis cymosa
• Flatsedge, Rusty (Cyperus odoratus)
• Inch Plant (Callisia repens)
• Maranta gibba
• Nutrush (Scleria lithosperma)

• ORCHIDS
  • Bletia, Purple (Bletia purpurea)
  • Oncidium carthagenense
  • Catasetum integerrimum
  • Cyrtopodium macrobulbon
  • Encyclia nematocaulon
  • Ionopsis utricularioides
  • Oeceoclades maculata
  • Sarcoglottis septrodes

• Rain Lily (Zephyranthes chlorosen)
• Rain Lily, Citron (Zephyranthes citrina)
• Sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense)
• Spiderwort, Purple (Tradescantia pallida)
• Star-Sedge, White (Rhynchospora colorata)
• Water-Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

DICOTS: usually broad-leafed, net-veined

• Acalypha (Acalypha alopecurioides)
• Amaranth, Spiny (Amaranthus spinosus)
• Anamú (Petiveria alliaceae)
• Aphelandra scabra
• Artillery Plant (Pilea microphylla)
• Balsam-pear (Momordica charantia)
• Barleria, Yellow (Barleria micans)
• Basil, Wild (Ocimum campechianum)

• BEAN FAMILY
  • Bushbean, Purple (Macroptilium atropurpureum)
  • Desmanthus (Desmanthus virgatus)
  • Indigo, Asian (Indigofera trita ssp. scabra)
  • Indigo, Guatemalan (Indigofera suffruticosa)
  • Jícama, Wild (Pachyrrhizus erosus)
  • Joint-Vetch (Aeschynomene americana)
  • Joint-Vetch (Aeschynomene fascicularis)
  • Prairie-clover, Low (Dalea scandens)
  • Senna uniflora
  • Senna, Cobán (Senna cobanensis)
  • Senna, Hairy (Senna hirsuta)
  • Sesbania, Hemp (Sesbania herbacea)
  • Shakeshake (Crotalaria incana)
  • Tick Trefoil (Desmodium affine)
  • Tick Trefoil (Desmodium distortum)
  • Zarzabacoa Dulce (Desmodium glabrum)
• Bindweed, Dwarf (Evolvulus convolvuloides)
• Blechum pyramidatum
• Bushmint (Hyptis suaveolens)
• Bushmint, Comb (Hyptis pectinata)
• Buttonweed (Spermacoce verticillata)

• CACTI
  • Acanthocereus (Acanthocereus tetragonus)
  • Coastal Prickly Pear Opuntia stricta
  • Mammillaria, Gaumer's (Mammillaria gaumeri)
  • Night-blooming Cereus (Hylocereus undatas)
  • Nopal Cactus, Cochineal (Nopalea cochenillifera)
  • Nopal Cactus, Wild Nopalea inaperta
  • Nopal Cactus, Gaumer's Wild Nopalea gaumeri
  • Organ Pipe (Stenocereus laevigatus)
  • Queen-of-the-night ( Selenicereus grandiflorus)
  • Sabucán (Pilosocereus gaumeri)

• Caltrop, Big (Kallstroemia maxima)
• Celosia (Celosia virgata)
• Cocolmeca (Milleria quinqueflora)

• COMPOSITE/ DAISY FAMILY

  • Ageratum, Gaumer's (Ageratum gaumeri)
  • Ageratum, Seaside (Ageratum maritimum)
  • Aldama (Aldama dentata)
  • Bitter Lettuce (Launaea intybacea)
  • Bonebract (Sclerocarpus divaricatus)
  • Butter Daisy (Melampodium divaricatum)
  • Coatbuttons (Tridax procumbens)
  • Delilia biflora
  • Feverfew (Parthenium hysterophorus)
  • Fleabane, Salt-marsh (Pluchea odorata)
  • Horseweed (Erigeron canadensis)
  • ??Lasianthaea aff. macrocephala
  • Pearlhead (Isocarpha oppositifolia)
  • Pluchea (Pluchea carolinensis)
  • Poreleaf Porophyllum punctatum
  • Silkleaf (Lagascea mollis)
  • Snow Squarestem (Melanthera nivea)
  • Stick-Tight (Bidens alba)
  • Stick-Tights, "Climbing" (Bidens squarrosa)
  • Sunflower Goldeneye (Viguiera dentata)
  • Sunflower, Mexican (Tithonia rotundifolia)
  • Synedrella (Synedrella nodiflora)
  • Thoroughwort, Lavender (Fleischmannia pycnocephala)
  • Yellowtop, Narrowleaf (Flaveria linearis)

• Creeping Bluet (Oldenlandiopsis callitrichoides)
• Croton, Lobed (Croton lobatus)
• Croton, Low (Croton humilis)
• Cuphea, Gaumer's (Cuphea gaumeri)
• Devil's Claws (Martynia annua)
• Devil's Horsewhip (Achyrathes aspera)
• Floppers (Bryophyllum pinnatum)
• Foldwing, Sixangle (Dicliptera sexangularis)
• Fournwort, Hairy (Tetramerium nervosum)
• Four-O'Clock, Violet Flowered (Mirabilis violacea)
• Four-O'Clock, White Flowered (Mirabilis longiflora)
• Goatweed (Capraria biflora)
• Goatweed (Capraria frutescens)
• Gronovia scandens
• Hedyotis callitrichoides
• Heliotrope, Salt (Heliotropium curassavicum)

• HIBISCUS FAMILY

  • Hibiscus, Fairy (Hibiscus poeppigii)
  • Jute (Corchorus aestuans)
  • Melochia nodiflora)
  • Mallow, Bladder (Gaya calyptrata)
  • Mallow, Viscid (Bastardia viscosa)
  • Rosemallow, Poeppig's (Hibiscus poeppigiiI)
  • Slippery Burr (Corchorus siliquosus)
  • Teabush (Melochia tomentosa)
  • Velvetleaf (Abutilon permolle)
  • Velvetleaf, Big Yellow (Wissadula amplissima)
  • Waltheria (Waltheria indica)
  • Yellow Hibiscus (Cienfuegosia yucatanensis)
• Hippobroma longiflora
• Hornwort, Tropical (Ceratophyllum submersum
• Husk Tomato, Hairy (Physalis pubescens)
• Jamaica Weed (Nama jamaicense)
• Joyweed, Yellow (Alternanthera flavescens)
• Leadwort (Plumbago scandens)
• Leaf-flower (Phyllanthus amarus)
• Littlewoman (Salvia serotina)
• Llantém (Plantago major)
• Matweed, Small (Guilleminea densa)
• Morning-glory, Slender Dwarf (Evolvulus alsinoides)
• Moss, Barbula(Hyophiladelphus agrarius)
• Mudplantain (Heteranthera limosa)
• Nightshade Solanum hirtum
• Noseburn, Yucatan (Tragia Yucatanensis)
• Peperomia (Peperomia pereskiifolia)
• Peperomia (Peperomia pellucida)
• Periwinkle, Madagascar (Catharanthus roseus)
• Petunia, Mexican Wild (Ruellia inundata)
• Petunia, Mexican Wild (Ruellia nudiflora)
• Poinsettia, Wild (Euphorbia cyathophora)
• Poinsettia, Wild (Euphorbia heterophylla)
• Pokeweed, Tropical (Phytolacca icosandra)
• Poorman's-Pepper (Lepidium virginicum)
• Prickly-poppy, Mexican (Argemone mexicana)
• Primrose-willow, Mexican (Ludwigia octovalvis)
• Purslane, Common (Portulaca oleracea)
• Purslane, Redstem (Portulaca rubricaulis)
• Sage, Scarlet (Salvia coccinea)
• Sage, Tropical (Salvia misella)
• Salicornia (Salicornia bigelovii)
• Saltweed (Blutaparon vermiculare)
• Sandmat, Prostrate (Euphorbia prostrata)
• Scalystem, Purple (Elytraria imbricata)
• Scalystem, Wheatspike (Elytraria bromoides)
• Scarlet-Bush (Hamelia patens)
• Schwenckia americana)
• Scorpon Tail (Heliotropium angiospermum)
• Skullcap, Gaumer's (Scutellaria gaumeri)
• Snakewort (Dorstenia contrajerva)
• Solanum tridynamum
• Spiderflower, African (Cleome gynandra)
• Spiderflower, Asian (Cleome viscosa)
• Spiderling, Erect (Boerhavia erecta)
• Spiderling, Scarlet (Boerhavia coccinea)
• Spiny Cucumbers (Cucumis anguria)
• Spurge, Grassleaf (Euphorbia graminea)
• Spurge, Leafy (Euphorbia hyssopifolia)
• Stickleaf, Tropical (Mentzelia aspera)
• Talinum paniculatum
• Turkey-tangle (Phyla nodiflora)


• VERVAIN/ VERBENA FAMILY
  • Brazilian Tea (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis)
  • Cat's-tongue (Priva lappulacea)
  • Lantana (Lantana camara)
  • Vervain, Red (Stachytarpheta miniacea)
• Woodsorrel, Shrubby (Oxalis frutescens)

OTHER: Nostoc commune (not a plant, but rather a cyanobacterium that looks like a fungus)