An overview of plant endemism on the highlands of Namibia

Abstract

Over 700 of Namibia’s nearly 4,000 seed plants are endemic to the country and, of these endemics, the distributions of more than 100 were found to be restricted to highlands with elevations over 1,500 masl. The families with the most highland endemics are Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Leguminosae and Scrophulariaceae with life forms varying from herbs and shrublets to succulents. Species restricted to specific mountain ranges are listed and the highlands of importance to plants are mapped. No noticeable concentration of endemic highland plants occurs, with many being rare with restricted habitats at specific elevations.