Common Flora of the Playa Lakes is intended to be a technical resource for private landowners, conservation groups, and governmental agencies interested in playa conservation and management, as well as a handy field guide for walkers, bird watchers, and other naturalists who enjoy exploring the Playa Lakes Region of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. Based on a detailed plant survey of 230 playas in these five states, this publication provides detailed descriptions of 72 plant species most frequently associated with playas, their common and scientific names (including synonyms), a botanical treatment of distinguishing characteristics, the wetland indicator status of the species, wildlife and livestock use of the species, seasonal and geographic distribution of species occurrence, and references to characteristics separating similar species. Color photographs throughout highlight key field identification characteristics for each species description. Also provided is an introduction to the ecology of playa lakes and an appendix listing all known plant species reported from playa lakes.