The botanical section of the NLE is offered as a first, very tentative approximation of the botanical knowledge among Nahuatl-speaking communities of the Balsas River Basin. The following families were found in a one-month collection period (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, 2001, with approximately 350 specimens collected). The identifications both in Nahuatl and in Western terminology are subject to re-evaluation and correction. Undoubtedly native consultant identifications will vary as a greater pool of advisors is consulted (during this fieldwork period consultants were Silvestre Pantaleón (Oapan), Asención Marcelo (San Juan Tetelcingo), and Inocencio Díaz and Honorio de la Rosa (Ameyaltepec). Even among this small group there was internal variation (e.g., between Inocencio Díaz and Honorio de la Rosa, both from the same community) as well as differences over time (occasionally an advisor would give different names for the same plants collected at different times). All these variations are discussed in the species pages. Likewise, given the desire to collect a large base in short period of time, some of the samples collected were sterile or otherwise incomplete. This, as well as some other difficulties, means that some of the Western identifications will likewise change over time. Botanists or others who wish to submit corrections or additions to any page are invited to contact the project director.

Sources for the plant descriptions (family and species pages, in particular) are listed at the end of the glossary (header). Elaboration of the texts is documented under credits (footer).