Floristic affinities between the somali and the mediterranean regions

Abstract

The phytogeographical connections between Somalia and the Mediterranean Region were analyzed. 99 families and about 300 genera turned out to be common to the two areas, representing 67 per cent of the families and 32 per cent of the genera in the whole Somali flora. If considering only the flora of the northern portion of Somalia, these values respectively reach 76 per cent of the families and 40 per cent of the genera. Furthermore several species are common to the two areas, some showing continuous distribution between eastern Africa and the Mediterranean Region, while others have strongly disjunct distribution.