The Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) is a vital biological corridor in Mexico, yet its floristic knowledge remains fragmented. This study inventories and analyzes the vascular flora of Cerro Mohinora, the highest peak in Chihuahua and a protected area critical for mountain biodiversity. Through the collection of 1200 specimens, we identified 350 taxa across 205 genera and 76 families. Asteraceae (57 taxa) and Poaceae (32) are the most species-rich, with hemicryptophytes dominating the life forms (55.7%). The native flora exhibits a predominantly Nearctic affinity (56.6%), followed by Neotropical (37.2%). Notably, 33.7% of species are endemic to Mexico, including 11.4% to the SMO and 2.9% related to microendemics. Cerro Mohinora serves as the type locality for 18 species, including Salvia reginae, which was discovered during the fieldwork of this study and formally described in 2019. It should be noted that not all of these taxa were recorded in the present survey. Regarding conservation, eight species are listed nationally and 54 internationally. Low exotic species representation (2.6%) contrasts with the vulnerability of the endemic flora. Our findings characterize Cerro Mohinora as a critical boreal refuge and an active evolutionary center, underscoring the need to strengthen conservation frameworks and management strategies to mitigate climate change impacts.
Vega-Mares et al. (Mon,) studied this question.