Background:

Sinaloa is among the states with the fewest floristic studies in Mexico.

Questions:

What plants are endemic to Sinaloa? What areas have the highest levels of endemism? What is their ethnobotanical significance? What are the priority species for conservation?

Studied species

Endemic vascular plants.

Study site and dates:

Sinaloa, Mexico; 2018-2021.

Methods:

Specialized literature, herbarium specimens, and electronic databases were consulted; the field work focused on type localities and other potential distribution sites for the endemic species. A Priority Conservation Index (PCI) was designed and applied, based on ecological and ethnobotanical parameters.

Results:

There are 77 strict endemic species, as well as 209 species shared with one or two neighbor states. The first belong to 30 families and 61 genera. The mountain ranges of Surutato, Concordia, and Tacuichamona have the most strictly endemic plants. More than half of the species are only known from the type locality and six of them have not been collected in more than 100 years. Lopezia conjugens and Croton ortegae were rediscovered after more than 100 and 70 years, respectively. Ebenopsis caesalpinioides, Stenocereus martinezii, and Aloysia nahuire were the priority species due to their high biocultural value.

Conclusions:

The endemic plants from Sinaloa show high taxonomic diversity and cultural value. This work identified species and sites of conservation priority, as well as the needs for collection and the potential of extinct species.

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