Plant species richness, endemism, and genetic resources in Namibia

Namibia is a floristically diverse, arid to mesic country, with several highly distinct taxa. Including naturalized plants, there are about 4334 vascular plant species and infraspecific taxa within the country's borders, a substantial increase from the existing major reference work. Dominant families are the Poaceae (422species), Fabaceae (377), Asteraceae (385) and Mesembryanthemaceae (177). Freshwater algae and most other groups of lower plants remain poorly known. Concentrations of plant species richness are found in the Succulent Karoo biome, Kaokoveld, Otavi highland/Karstveld area, Okavango Basin, and Khomas highlands. Recent studies have led to a new estimate of 687 endemic plant species, defined as those contained wholly within Namibia's borders, amounting to about 17% of the Namibian flora. At least a further 275 species are Namib Desert endemics shared between the Kaokoveld and southern Angola (75spp.) and between the Succulent Karoo and northwestern South Africa (200spp.). Research on plant genetic resources is focused on species of potential or actual agricultural importance, such as pearl millet, Pennisetum glaucum, and cucurbits. Many wild plants have considerable genetic diversity and development potential. Primary threats to plant diversity fall in the category of poor land management and inappropriate development.