Summary
Included here are the upland zones of the African mountains (Afro-Alpine) and so far includes the Aberdare Range, Mount Elgon, Mount Cameroon, Mount Kenya, Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru, Ruwenzori Mountains and the Virunga Volcanoes. In the biogeographic system used in this web-site many of these mountains (with the exception of Mount Cameroon) are in the Somalo-Ethiopian biozone.
Of the endemic and near endemic vascular plants so far recorded there are about 260 species in 110 genera and 50 families. There is 1 genus (Hypseochloa) endemic to Mount Cameroon (marked red) but no endemic families.
References
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Grimshaw, J. M. 1998. Disturbance, Pioneers and the Afromontane Archipelago. In: Chorology, Taxonomy and Ecology of the Floras of Africa and Madagascar. Eds. J. M. Lock and D. F Cutler. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Hedberg, O. 1951. Vegetation belts of the east African mountains. Svensk Botanisk Tidskrift, 45: 141-202.
Hedberg, O. 1957. Afroalpine Vascular Plants - A Taxonomic Revision. Uppsala
Hedberg, O. 1964. Features of Afroalpine plant ecology. Acta Phytogeographica Suecica, 49: 1-144.
Hedberg, O. 1965. Afroalpine Flora Elements. Webbia, 19: 519-529.
Hedburg, O. 1986. Origins of the Afroalpine flora. In: High Altitude Tropical Biogeography. Eds F. Vuilleumier and M. Monasterio. Oxford University Press and American Museum of Natural History.
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