Included here is the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispanola and Puerto Rico), the Lesser Antilles (including Montserrate, Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent and Grenado), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the southern tropical part of the Florida Peninsula.

West Indian Marsh Forest

In Jamaica these are mainly limited to the upper reaches of the Black River. Their closed canopy reaches to a height of about 10 m and is usually dominated by the hog gum Symphonia globulifera, which exudes a yellow gum from its aerial roots when cut. Marsh palms are also common including Calyptronoma swartzii and the endemic Roystonea princeps (Arecaceae), while other trees include Calophyllum jacquinii, Haematoxylon campechianum, Piscidium piscipula, Spondias monbin and the endemic Grias caulifera (Lecythidaceae). Aroides and orchids dominate the rich epiphytic flora but bromeliads are rare.

West Indian Marsh Palm Forest

Forests dominated by the palm genus Prestoea are found on a number of Caribbean islands including Dominica, Grenada, Nevis, Puerto Rico, St Kitts, St Vincent and the larger islands of the Greater Antilles. They are mainly confined to marshy or waterlogged areas. In the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico they are dominated by the endemic palm Prestoea montanus (Arecaceae). Other associated trees are mainly endemic species such as Antirhea obtusifolia (Rubiaceae), Byrsonima wadsworthii (Malpighiaceae), Calycogonium squamulosum (Melastomataceae), Cordia borinquensis (Boraginaceae), Croton poecilanthus (Euphorbiaceae), Dacryodes excelsa (Burseraceae), Eugenia boringuensis (Myrtaceae), Meliosma herbertii (Sabiaceae), Micropholis chrysophylloides (Sapotaceae), Ocotea spathulata (Lauraceae), Sloanea berteriana (Elaeocarpaceae), Tabebuia rigida (Bignonaceae) and Ternstroemia heptasepala (Theaceae).  Vines are present in small numbers but include several endemic species such as Marcgravia sintenisii (Marcgraviaceae), Philodendron scandens (Araceae) and Securidaca virgata (Polygalaceae. Ground layer herbs are also infrequent but include endemic taxa like Erythrodes plantaginea (Orchidaceae), Pilea krugerii (Urticeae), Piper swartzianum (Piperaceae), Selaginella krugii (Selaginellaceae) and ferns such as the endemic Thelypteris detoidea (Thelypteridaceae).

References

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Alvarez-Lopaz, M. 1990. Ecology of Pterocarpus officinalis forest wetlands in Puerto Rico. In: Ecosystems of the World 15. Forested Wetlands. Eds. A. Lugo, M. Brinson and S. Brown. Elsevier.

Asprey, G. F. & Robbins, R. G. 1953. The Vegetation of Jamaica. Ecological Monographs, 23: 359-412.

Borhidi, A. 1991. Phytogeography and Vegetation Ecology of Cuba. Akademiai Kiado, Budapest.

Bretting, P. Jamaica’s Flowering Plants: Endemic Genera Revisited. Jamaica Journal, 16: 49.

Graveson, R. 2009. The Classification of the Vegetation of Saint Lucia. National Forest Demarcation and Bio-Physical Resource Inventory Project Caribbean-Saint Lucia (SFA 2003/SLU/BIT-04/0711/EMF/LC). Finnish Consultancy Group (FCG) International Ltd in association with AFC Consultants International GmbH. Technical Report 3. Presented to the European Commission and Banana Industry Trust.  

Liogier, H. A. & Martorell, L. F. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands: a systematic synopsis. Editorial De La Universidad De Puerto Rico.

Lugo, A. E., Bokkestijn, A. & Scatena, F. N. 1995. Structure, succession, and soil chemistry of palm forest in the Luquilla Experimental Forest. In: Tropical Forest: Management and Ecology. Eds. A. E. Lugo and C. Lowe. Springer-Verlag.

Helmer, E. L., Ramos, O., Del, T. López, M., Quiñones, M. & Diaz, W. 2002. Mapping the forest type and land cover of Puerto Rico, a component of the Caribbean Biodiversity Hotspot. Caribbean Journal of Science, 38: 165-183.

Howard, R. A. 1979. Flora of the West Indies. In: Tropical Botany. Eds. K. Larsen and L. B. Holm-Nielsen. Academic Press.

Myers, R. L. 1990. Palm Swamps. In: Ecosystems of the World 15. Forested Wetlands. Eds. A. Lugo, M. Brinson and S. Brown. Elsevier.

Panagopoulos, N. (ed). 1999. A Guide to Caribbean Vegetation Types: Preliminary Classification System and Descriptions. The Nature Conservancy and others.

Vazquez, O. J. & Kolterman, D. A. 1998. Floristic composition and vegetation types of the Punta Guaniquilla Nature Reserve – Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Caribbean Journal of Science, 34: 265-279.

Woods, C. A. & Sergile, F. E. 2001. Biogeography of the West Indies. Second Edition. CRC Press.