15 PLANTS OF THE TEMPERATE FOREST OF MEXICO - BIOLOGY - 2024

There are about 7,000 species of plants in the temperate forests of Mexico. In this country, you can find 50% of the world's pine species, and 200 species of oaks, which are 33% of the total that exist.

Temperate forests are territories mostly covered by tall trees. Pines and oaks dominate accompanied by several other species that inhabit mountainous areas. Usually with mild to cold weather.

In Mexico, temperate forest areas are found in the north and south of the State of Baja California. As well as in the Western and Eastern Sierras Madre, in the Neovolcanic Axis, the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca and in the south of Chiapas.

Plants of the temperate forest of Mexico

Besides pines and oaks there is a great variety of plants and there are, for example, oyamel, ayarín or pinabete forests, among others.

1- Eupatorium

These are perennial herbs, usually shrubs or small trees. It comes from the Asteraceae family.

2- Rosewood (

In this case, they are shrubs or small trees. They have alternate leaves, also perennial.

3- L

They are low trees, 1.5 to 4.5 m tall, with young, terete, glabrous, yellowish-green branches. They usually have dark brown or greenish yellow bark.

4- Angel hair (

It is a shrub that is 2 to 3 meters high with few branches, sometimes it is a small tree 5 to 6 meters high.

It has branches with brown or whitish hairs. Also, the leaves are divided as if they were fine feathers.

5- Alfalfilla (

It is a herbaceous plant of mountainous areas. It grows high in extreme conditions. This plant can withstand strong environmental and climatic pressures.

6- Ferns (

Ferns are plants that do not have flowers and do not produce seeds. That is, they reproduce through spores.

The diversity of ferns in Mexico is composed of approximately 124 genera and 1,008 species, of that total of species, 186 are endemic.

7- Bells (

They are herbaceous plants, creeping or erect, depending on the variety it belongs to. It can reach a height from 10 to 2 meters. It is usually grown biannually.

8- Toad grass (

These plants grow in full sun without any protection. They usually live on flat parts or slopes of northern exposure.

9-

Most species of myconia are shrubs and small trees. They can measure up to 15 meters in height. It is characterized by having a dark green beam

10-

This small plant belongs to the Rosaceae. They usually have sticky fruits. It is a common species in oyamel forests and disturbed wet pine-oak forests.

11- C

They are shrubs and trees that are very characteristic for their smell as well as the strength of their wood. This makes it a widely used ornamental species.

12-

Oak family plant that usually reaches up to 20 meters in some cases. They stand out for their acorns, with a bitter taste.

13- Strawberry tree (

Large shrub (up to 15 meters) that is located in wide areas of Mexico at altitudes that include 1500 - 3000 meters above sea level. Its wood is widely used for the manufacture of various utensils.

14- Teposan (

Shrub of about 2-5 meters very popular in certain areas of the country (Chiapas for example) for its medicinal and dermatological properties.

15- Weeping willow (

Deciduous tree of Asian origin but very established in the temperate forests of Mexico. Beautiful in size, it measures between 8 and 12 meters.

Reference

1. Ministry of the Environment, "Conservation of temperate mountain ecosystems in Mexico", Oscar Sánchez (December, 2003).
2. National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity, “Taxonomic Catalog of Species of Mexico, in Natural Capital of Mexico, vol. I: Current knowledge of biodiversity »(March, 2017) Recovered in Biodiversidad Gobierno. biodiversity.gob.mx.
3. Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, "Taxonomy of the Boletaceae Family, in the temperate forests of Zacualtipán, Hidalgo Mexico" (2007) uaeh.edu.mx.
4. Institute of Ecology, AC Department of Evolutionary Biology "Flora of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley", Francisco G. Lorea-Hernández, Nelly Jiménez-Pérez (2010).