Background and Aims:

The subtribe Plucheinae is a poorly represented group in Mexico and therefore should not present taxonomic problems. However, this is not the case, since taxa with contrasting growth habits such as Pluchea carolinensis and P. odorata have been confused, and the presence of species from other countries has been reported due to erroneous identification; hence, the need to generate an updated taxonomic treatment. The aim of this work is to present an updated taxonomic study of the Mexican Plucheinae, including identification keys and descriptions of genera and species.

Methods:

A revision of floristic-taxonomic works of the tribes Inuleae and Plucheeae was carried out to generate a list of species present in Mexico, which was compared with the collections of Mexican herbaria ENCB, FCME, IEB and MEXU, in addition to online herbaria from the United States of America.

Key results:

In Mexico, Pluchea is the genus of the subtribe Plucheinae with the widest diversity and distribution, grouping eight species and two infraspecific categories, being found in 27 states. Oaxaca and Veracruz concentrate the highest number of species, and the least diversity is found in Aguascalientes, Mexico City and Durango, where only one taxon is registered. The Plucheinae occur in elevations that range from sea level to 3100 m a.s.l. They have an affinity for environments with high humidity.

Conclusions:

The grouping of heads and the indumentum on the phyllaries have been useful to differentiate Mexican taxa from the P. foetida complex; however, it is necessary to carry out anatomical and micromorphological studies in this complex to corroborate their separation.

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