Background:

The Dicotyledon Flora of Aguascalientes (DFA) was recently published. However, it was detected that the identification key to family level has problems and does not allow to identify all families that are found in this Mexican state.

Questions and/or hypothesis:

A dichotomous key for identifying all angiosperm families (sensu APG IV) found in Aguascalientes can be prepared. In addition, the families that are found in the municipalities of Jalisco and Zacatecas adjacent to Aguascalientes, can be incorporated into the key.

Studied species:

Angiosperm families.

Study site and dates:

Mexican state of Aguascalientes and surrounding municipalities of Jalisco and Zacatecas; years 2021-2023.

Methods:

The known angiosperm families found in Aguascalientes and adjacent municipalities of Jalisco and Zacatecas, were recorded by studying herbaria and the DFA. A key that included all documented families was prepared. The resulting key was gradually tested and improved, considering the genera and species found in the area under study.

Results:

A dichotomous identification key that included a total of 132 angiosperm families was obtained, 24 of which belong to monocots and 108 to dicots; only five of them were not found in Aguascalientes.

Conclusions:

The dichotomous identification key, due to its practical nature, is a tool that allows incorporating the taxa of interest, without strictly considering phylogenetic or evolutionary aspects that guide some classification systems. It is considered that the key is useful to reinforce the information provided in the DFA and to promote the study of the angiosperms found in this Mexican region.

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