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Methods. An initial working list of the flora was constructed from the collections at San Juan College herbarium (SJNM). To this list were added plants and their localities known from other local herbaria and from available theses and checklists (e.g., Bleakley, 1996; Michener, 1960; Michener-Foote & Hogan, 1999). This initial list, then, consisted of plants documented by voucher specimens. The list was vastly expanded by the addition of possible taxa gleaned from the recent floristic treatments given above as well from monographic/taxon-specific treatments of major groups and historical floras. Published volumes of Flora of North America (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993, 1997, 2000) were also consulted. Based on known voucher specimens and from these sources, a brief habitat description was compiled for each species. Examples of monographic/taxon-specific treatments are Allred (1997) for grasses, Barneby (1964) for Astragalus, Carter (1997) for woody plants of New Mexico, Anderson (2001) for cacti, Isely (1998) for Fabaceae, and Rollins (1993) for Brassicaceae. The floras of Wooton and Standley (1925), Tidestrom & Kittell (1941), and Rydberg (1906) were especially useful. Of these, Rydberg’s flora includes specimen citations and specific locality information that could be directly incorporated in the list.
Fig. 2. Major physiographic and political entities in the San Juan River Watershed.
Once the working list of known and potential taxa was completed, field work began. We attempted to survey all habitat types in the study area in every county with an eye to verifying the presence of species predicted to be present. New records were incorporated into the working list at the end of each field season. A master set of voucher specimens is maintained at San Juan College (SJNM). A revised list was then created for the upcoming season. A significant gap in our collections exists for Ute Mountain in the southwestern corner of Colorado because the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe would not grant us a collecting permit. We expect that this high elevation island will add taxa to Montezuma County that are otherwise found to the northeast in the San Juan Mountains, to the northwest in the Abajo Mountains, and from the Carrizo Mountains to the south. During the later stages of the project, specimens from the following herbaria were consulted and were added to the improving catalogue: Colorado State University (CS), Deaver Herbarium (Northern Arizona University, ASC), Ft. Lewis College (FLD), University of Northern Iowa (ISTC), Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA), Navajo Heritage Herbarium (Window Rock, Arizona), New Mexico State University (NMC), Rancho Santa Ana (RSA), Range Science Herbarium, New Mexico State University (NMR), Rocky Mountain Herbarium (RM), San Juan College (SJNM), Stanley Welsh Herbarium (BRY), University of Colorado Herbarium (COLO), University of New Mexico (UNM), and the herbarium at Mesa Verde National Park. Five unpublished working versions of the list were created since 1998. The catalogue presented in this paper is the sixth edition of the list and includes only taxa documented with voucher specimens.
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