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Oklahoma has a diverse flora and vegetation, reflecting its geographic position astride 10 North American ecoregions. The vascular flora of Oklahoma comprises 173 families, 868 genera, and 2540 species. It is a complex assemblage of plants representing several floristic regions. Species characteristic of the Appalachian, Prairie, and Coastal Plain provinces of the North American Atlantic floristic region are most common; however, plants from the Rocky Mountain region and the Sonoran province of the Madrean region also are found in the state. The vegetation of the state is equally diverse; 151 vegetation associations including forest, woodland, shrubland, and herbaceous associations are recognized currently in Oklahoma. This diversity of floristic and vegetation types is related to the state's unique position in North America, its ecological and geological diversity, and its environmental gradients in precipitation, temperature, elevation, topographic relief, and soils.
The Flora of Oklahoma is being written by a committee and in stages. The editorial committee, which represents botanists from throughout the state, began an effort to write and publish a modern floristic treatment for Oklahoma's vascular plants. Initial steps included the establishment of an editorial board, formation of a non-profit corporation, development of an editorial format, production of a computerized database for families, solicitation of contributors, and commencement of research and writing. The editorial committee meets once a month at the Robert Bebb Herbarium of the University of Oklahoma to review and write keys and descriptions to the vascular plants.
When completed, the Flora of Oklahoma will include keys and descriptions for all vascular plants in the state of Oklahoma. As the Keys and Descriptions and the Illustrations are progressively developed and revised, they are assembled and printed in spiral-bound format either as Keys and Descriptions for the Vascular Plants of Oklahoma or as Identification of Oklahoma Plants, which includes in one volume Keys and Descriptions for the Vascular Plants of Oklahoma along with Waterfall's (1969) Keys to the Flora of Oklahoma. Each semester a new version of Keys and Descriptions for the Vascular Plants of Oklahoma is printed. Once new keys have been developed for all species in Oklahoma, only the Keys and Descriptions for the Vascular Plants of Oklahoma will be printed.
Copies of Keys and Descriptions for the Vascular Plants of Oklahoma can be purchased for $25 postpaid by printing, completing, and mailing the order form with payment by check or money order.
Copies of Identification of Oklahoma Plants can be purchased for $36.50 postpaid by printing, completing, and mailing the order form with payment by check or money order.
There are instructions on the order forms for payments via purchase orders.
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page is sponsored by the Oklahoma Biological Survey
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