TAXONOMY, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSERVATION OF FUNASTRUM (APOCYNACEAE; ASCLEPIADOIDEAE) IN MEXICO

Background: Funastrum species are widely distributed in Mexico and 70 % of its species are located in the national territory. The systematic information of the genus is scattered or outdated, as well as the knowledge of its geographical distribution and state of conservation. Questions: How many species of Funastrum are in Mexico and how are they distributed? What is the conservation status of the species in the country? Studied species: Funastrum. Study site and dates: Mexico, 2018-2021. Methods: Revision of national and international herbaria, databases (Tropicos, JSTOR, Naturalista, etc.) and intensive literature search, evaluation of conservation status following IUCN criteria and richness analysis using the MonographaR package in R. Results: Funastrum has 14 species in Mexico, seven of which are in some category of risk. A species identification key and descriptions are provided for each of the taxa, as well as distribution maps and a richness map. Conclusions: Mexico is recognized as a center of diversity for the genus with 14 of 20 species in the territory. For seven taxa, their inclusion in some risk category is suggested.