THE FAMILY SCHISANDRACEAE - A NEW RECORD FOR THE FLORA OF MEXICO

Panero, J. L. (Department of Botany, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78713, U.S.A.) & P. Davila Aranda (Departamento de Botanica, Instit ute de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apartado Pos tal 70-367, 04510 Mexico, D. F. Mexico). The family Schisandraceae: a new record for the flora of Mexico. Brittonia 50: 87-90. 1998.-A popul ation of Schisandra glabra (Schisandraceae) found in the cloud forest of northeastern Hidalgo state, Mexico, represents a new family for the Mexican flora and the first record for the species outside of the sou theastern United States. Morphological comparisons of foliar and flora l characteristics of this population with southeastern U.S. specimens reveal the material in both countries to be similar in morphology and apparently conspecific. Schisandra glabra is the only species of the f amily on the American continent. We speculate that the disjunct distri bution of the Mexican population is the result of the gradual contract ion of an otherwise wider distribution in connection with climatologic al changes associated with the Tertiary. The species is described and illustrated to familiarize students interested in the Mexican flora wi th the species and family.