Richness of the associated flora to Michoacan Avocado Mosaic, Mexico (Inventories in 2020, 2022, 2023).

In neotropical agricultural systems, knowledge about associated uncultivated flora is scattered, primarily due to society's negative perception of this flora. It is still common to use words such as "weeds" to refer to this component of agricultural systems. However, over at least the last two decades, there has been an increase in basic and applied research aimed at harnessing and improving our relationship with non-cultivated flora.

In fact, Mexico has been working to increase the visibility and ethnobotanical importance of beneficial non-cultivated flora and its richness in both agricultural and urban landscapes (e.g., CONAHCYT 2024). Avocado (Persea americana) is, together with agave (Agave tequilana), an agricultural crop of high economic value for Mexico. However, the unregulated establishment and expansion in some areas of the avocado belt have been linked to increased deforestation, restricted water access and availability, and increased application of agrochemical inputs for pest and weed control (Denvir et al. 2021, Latorre-Cárdenas et al. 2023).

There is extensive discussion about weed control during the harvest period for export-type avocados. Although the standard indicates that weeds must be kept below 10 centimetres tall during the harvest period (OWP, 2021), local weed management practices may vary among producers, resulting in a wide range of weed control strategies based on practical economic decisions or idiosyncratic choices. It is a fact that the protection and environmental health of agricultural soil depend on the role of the herbaceous layer, and this is no different in avocado orchards.

Unlike other shrub or tree-dominated monocultures in the Neotropics, avocados are native to Mexico. As they are trees, avocado orchards, depending on planting density, tend to exhibit a certain level of vertical stratification with a relatively dense herbaceous layer, trunk (which can harbour some non-parasitic epiphytic plants such as ferns and orchids), and canopy. In this regard, to find strategies to improve the sustainability of avocado cultivation in Mexico, it is critical to expand our knowledge of the uncultivated flora associated with avocado orchards.

To contribute to knowledge of the uncultivated flora associated with avocado orchards in Michoacán, we present a dataset on the occurrence of 181 species of Tracheophyte distributed across 121 genera and 47 families (409 specimens). The main non-formal groups are ferns and allies with 14 species (Lycopodiopsida 2 spp, Polypodiopsida 12 spp) and flowering plants with 166 species (Liliopsida 11 spp, Magnolipsida 156 spp) (e.i, occurrence.csv).

Regarding flowering plants, records are presented for 122 native species, 22 introduced (naturalised) species and 38 endemic species. This dataset expands (with botanical collection voucher) the previous list of herbaceous plants associated with avocado orchard flora (Merlín-Uribe et al. 2014 ). All specimens have been herbarium-preserved and are deposited in the IEB Herbarium at the INECOL Regional Centre in Bajío.

In addition, a set of data is presented that includes information on the type of collection site (inside orchards vs forest edge – orchard), origin (e.g., Native), form life (e.g., Herbaceous), and corolla colour (e.g., White; Only for angiosperms) (e.i, measurementOrFact.csv).