BIODIVERSITY OF CROATIA
BIODIVERSITY OF CROATIA
BIODIVERSITY OF CROATIA
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PLANTS<br />
According to the available data, Croatian flora consists of 8,582<br />
known taxa, while certain estimates put this number at almost<br />
10,000 taxa. The ratio of plant species to territory puts Croatia<br />
amongst the three European countries richest in flora (with Slovenia<br />
and Albania).<br />
No. of taxa in main groups of plants<br />
group<br />
no. of known<br />
taxa<br />
estimated no.<br />
of taxa<br />
known (%)<br />
algae 2,597 3,717 69.87<br />
mosses 638 700 91.14<br />
vascular plants 5,347 5,500 97.22<br />
TOTAL 8,582 9,917 86.54<br />
Biokovo bellflower (Edraianthus pumilio), endemic species of the<br />
Biokovo Mountain (photo: A. Alegro)<br />
It is presumed that up to 14% of the plant taxa in Croatia has<br />
not yet been registered. While the list of vascular plants is mostly<br />
complete, the mosses have not yet been inventoried due<br />
to a lack of specialised researchers. Algae are well known in<br />
certain areas while in others, there is virtually no data (central<br />
Adriatic, watercourses, caves, etc).<br />
No. of taxa in main groups of vascular plants<br />
spermatophytes<br />
(seed plants)<br />
GROUP<br />
No. of TAXA<br />
ferns 86<br />
gymnosperms<br />
angiosperms<br />
Cycadophytina 7<br />
Coniferophytina 40<br />
total 47<br />
Magnoliopsida 4,277<br />
Liliopsida 937<br />
total 5,214<br />
total 5,261<br />
vascular plants - total 5,347<br />
Velebit degenia (Degenia velebitica) grows on screes of the Velebit<br />
Mountain (photo: T. Nikoli})<br />
Of the total number of known plant taxa, as much as 5.65% is<br />
endemic. The highest endemism is among vascular plants (total<br />
number of 326 taxa) and algae (152 known endemics).<br />
A particularly large number of endemic plants can be found on<br />
the Adriatic islands and in high mountain areas of the Biokovo<br />
and Velebit mountains. Among the mountain endemics, there<br />
are a large number of tertiary relics. The screes of the Central<br />
Velebit area are habitats of the well-known endemic species<br />
Velebit degenia (Degenia velebitica).<br />
Island endemics have mostly developed due to isolation. The<br />
most island endemic taxa belong to genus Centaurea.<br />
Endemic Dubrovnik knapweed (Centaurea ragusina) inhabits crevices<br />
of the steep coastal cliffs (photo: SINP)<br />
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