The project outlines plans to complete the inventory of the vascular plants of La Selva Biological Station, one of the world's finest tropical field stations. When initiated in 1979, the Station was less than half its current 3800 acres (=1510 ha) of largely lowland tropical rainforest. It was then estimated that La Selva would yield a flora of approximately 1800 species of vascular plants and that number is being rapidly approached. Nearly 1700 species are on current checklist and approximately 80 additional species are in various stages of study. Most of these require additional material to complete their identification. Perhaps a dozen are new species joining the more than 60 already described from La Selva collections. Although the greatest effort and time will be expended on description preparation and comparative study, it seems imperative to continue collecting because 1) the majority of the collecting was made when La Selva had less than half its present area and especially 2) land acquisition has increased the area not only by 12% but added a unique and uncollected forested ridge. A very preliminary survey indicated that these areas bear a number of species otherwise unknown at La Selva. Because La Selva is representative of the vast Caribbean lowland rainforest which is rapidly being converted to pasture, the flora will: 1) have a major impact on understanding Meso- american floristics, and 2) serve as much-needed tool for the on- site evolutionary and ecological research by the numerous investigators utilizing the La Selva Biological Station each year.
