Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of the Department of Antioquia (Colombia) En español The Department of Antioquia is located in the northwestern part of Colombia, between 5°25' and 8°55' north latitude and 73°53' and 77°07' west longitude (Galeano & Bernal, 1987). It is bordered on the north by the Caribbean Sea and the Departments of Córdoba and Bolívar, on the east by the Departments of Santander and Boyacá, on the south by the Departments of Caldas and Risaralda, and on the west by the Department of Chocó. It includes an approximate area of 63,612 km2 and elevations that range from sea level to 4080 m in the Frontino Páramo (Galeano & Bernal, 1987). Administratively the Department of Antioquia is divided into 124 townships (called "municipios"). Most of the Department of Antioquia is mountainous, because both the Central and Western Cordilleras of the Andes cross this department. Its lower elevations include the drainages of the Atrato, Cauca, Porce, and Magdalena Rivers. Together these factors form a complex topography that produces a very variable climate and a very diverse flora. For example, the high diversity of species of Ericaceae found in the Murri region -- located on the western slopes of the Western Cordillera of the Andes -- has merited this place the name "hotspot for neotropical blueberries" (Luteyn & Sylva, 1999). Botanical exploration and collection of the Department of Antioquia began in the 19th century, notably with the foreign botanical expeditions such as those of Triana, White, Wallis, and Saffray (Atehortúa & Callejas, 1992). The multiplication of botanical expeditions and collections by both local and foreign botanists in the twentieth century resulted in a number of important contributions to the knowledge of the flora of the Department of Antioquia, notably among these "La Flora de Antioquia" [The Flora of Antioquia], published in 1940 by Lorenzo Uribe Uribe as an expanded version of the manuscripts left by Joaquín Antonio Uribe. Subsequently, in 1947 W. Hodge published a preliminary list of the vascular plants of the Department of Antioquia, with further additions to this published by Hodge & Gutiérrez in 1948. Taxonomic studies of the palms of this region were made by Gloria Galeano and Rodrigo Bernal (Galeano & Bernal, 1987) and floristic studies of both the Las Orquídeas ["Orchids"] National Natural Park and the Río Claro-San Luis region were conducted by researchers at the Missouri Botanical Garden (MO) in collaboration with botanists from the Herbarium of the Joaquín Antonio Uribe Botanical Garden (JAUM) in Medellín. The "Flora of Antioquia" program began in the summer of 1986 with financial support from the University of Antioquia, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the New York Botanical Garden (Atehortúa & Callejas, 1992). Alvaro Idárraga of the Herbarium of the University of Antioquia (HUA) and Rosa Ortíz (MO) are currently preparing an annotated catalogue of the vascular plants of the Department of Antioquia, which is a joint project of the HUA and MO herbaria coordinated by Ricardo Callejas (HUA) and Olga Martha Montiel (MO). A number of Colombian specialists will also be contributing their respective families of speciality as part of the preparation of this list. The compilation of the taxonomic information for each family includes study of herbarium specimens, study of names through survey of the basic taxonomic literature, and recording additional information on distribution, ecology, and uses for each species. Final reviews will be made by specialists for the families. Currently the TROPICOS database has records for 18,217 herbarium specimens from the Department of Antioquia, with representatives of 200 families, 1370 genera, and 4590 species. References Atehortúa, L. & R. Callejas. 1992. Informe final "Programa Flora de Antioquia". Universidad de Antioquia. Medellín. Galeano, G. & R. Bernal. 1987. Palmas del Departamento de Antioquia. Región Occidental. 1ra. Edición. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Apartado Aéreo 14990, Bogotá. Hodge, W. 1947. Lista preliminar de las plantas vasculares nativas del departamento de Antioquia. Colombia. Rev. fac. Nal. De Agronomía. Vol. VII(27): 267-324. Hodge, W. & G. Gutiérrez. 1948. Lista preliminar de las plantas vasculares nativas del departamento de Antioquia. Colombia. Supp. I., Rev. fac. Nal. de Agronomía VIII(32): 414-428. Luteyn, L. J. & S. Sylva S. 1999. "Murrí" (Antioquia Department, Colombia): hotspot for neotropical blueberries (Ericaceae: Vaccinieae). Brittonia 51(3): 280-302. Uribe Uribe, L. 1940. Flora de Antioquia. Medellín. 382 pp. This page was revised 3/1/04