Included here is the granitic Seychelles situated in the equatorial regions of the Indian Ocean. All of the larger islands have rugged granitic mountains often with smooth, bare rock slopes known as glacis.

Seychellean Glacis Vegetation

In the uplands peaty, soils accumulate in pockets and fissures providing habitat for various species. On Mahé the characteristic taxa include Dianella ensifolia and various endemic species such as Erythroxylon sechellarum (Erythroxylaceae), Excoecaria benthamiana (Euphorbiaceae), Lophoschoenus hornei (Cyperaceae), Memecylon eleagni (Melastomataceae), Mimusops sechellarum (Sapotaceae), Pandanus multispicatus, P. sechellarum (Pandanaceae) and Soulamea terminalioides (Simaroubaceae). At high altitudes the endemic Garnotia sechellensis (Poaceae), Nepenthes pervillei (Nepenthaceae) and Randia sericea (Rubiaceae) are more or less confined to this habitat. In the dryer lower areas of Mahé were peat is less plentiful the curious endemic Medusagyne oppositifolia (Medusagynaceae) becomes one of the characteristic species. Associated taxa include many of the aforementioned species of moist glacis, but in addition other endemics such as Canthium bibracteatum (Rubiaceae), Curculigo seychellensis (Amaryllidaceae), Deckenia noblis (Arecaceae), Dillenia ferruginea (Dilleniaceae), Eugenia wrightii (Myrtaceae), Maba seychellarum (Ebenaceae), Nephrosperma vanhoutteana (Arecaceae), Phoenicophorium borsigianum (Arecaceae), Timonius sechellensis (Rubiaceae) and Vanilla phalaenopsis (Orchidaceae) may be present.

References

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Braithwaite, C. J. R. 1984. Geology of the Seychelles. In: Biogeography and Ecology of the Seychelles Islands. Ed. D. R. Stoddart. Dr W. Junk Publishers.

Hemsley, W. B. 1916. Flora of Seychelles and Aldabra. Journal of Botany, 54: 1-24.

Hemsley, W. B. & Turrill, W. B. 1917. Plants of Seychelles and Aldabra. Journal of Botany, 55: 285-288.

Hill, M. & Currie, D. Wildlife of Seychelles. Collins Traveler’s Guide. Collins.

Matatiken, D. & Dogley, D. 2005. Guide to Endemic Palms and Screw Pines of the Seychelles Granitic Islands. Plant Conservation Action Group, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles.

Procter, J. 1973. National Parks in Seychelles. Biological Conservation, 5: 153-155.

Procter, J. 1974. The endemic flowering plants of the Seychelles - an annotated list. Candollea, 29: 345-387.

Procter, J. 1984a. Vegetation of the granitic islands of the Seychelles. In: Biogeography and Ecology of the Seychelles Islands. Ed. D. R. Stoddart. Dr W. Junk Publishers.

Procter, J. 1984b. Floristics of the granitic islands of the Seychelles. In: Biogeography and Ecology of the Seychelles Islands. Ed. D. R. Stoddart. Dr W. Junk Publishers.

Swabey, C. 1970. The endemic flora of the Seychelle Islands and its conservation. Biological Conservation, 2: 171-177.

Vesey-Fitzgerald, D. 1940. On the vegetation of Seychelles. Journal of Ecology, 28: 465-483.