The city as a refuge for plant species: Woody and arborescent flora in the district of Miraflores (Lima-Perú)

Miraflores is one of Lima’s districts with the greatest commitment to caring for its green areas and urban trees. In this context, the present study aimed to: a) assess the richness and composition of woody (trees and shrubs) and arborescent plants (palms and cycads); b) quantify the percentage of native and introduced species used in these spaces, and c) compare the species composition across the green areas surveyed. The methodology involved botanical collection in 78 parks and 23 walkable central berms of the district. We consulted the Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru by Brako et al. (1993) and the online resource Plants of the World Online – POWO (2024) to determine the origin of the species found. For the taxonomic identification, we used standard keys, and we analyzed the data using the Jaccard similarity index (Ij). We recorded 203 species grouped in 144 genera and 53 families. The most frequent species were Duranta erecta L. (57.4%), Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi. (56.4%), Tecoma capensis (Thunb). (55.4%), and the district’s highest floristic diversity (61 species) was found at the Bicentenario Park. Of the total flora recorded, 81.8% (166) corresponded to introduced species, while 18.2% were native (37). The similarity analysis showed that most walkable central medians exhibited high similarity (up to 100% of their species), while the parks had Ji values between 26% and 50%. These findings emphasize the ecological importance of urban green areas as reservoirs of biodiversity, reflecting the coexistence of both native and introduced flora in urban spaces. The frequency of occurrence of these species in various areas indicates their versatility and ability to adapt to different environments within the district.