ABSTRACT
If a single word had to be used to describe the Everglades, it would be sawgrass (officially known as Jamaica swamp sawgrass). However, many other marsh plants occur in the Everglades (Table 3.1), with well over 100 species present. From a biogeographic perspective, most of these species, including sawgrass, have such extensive ranges in temperate and tropical regions that the distinction is unimportant. Overall, however, the marsh flora is more related to temperate North America, with but a few examples (such as alligator flag) of tropical origin.470
