Madagascar is home to as many as 12,000 plant species -- 70-80% of which are endemic -- making it one of the most diverse floras on the planet (for comparison, tropical Africa has 30,000-35,000 species and covers almost 35 times as much area as Madagascar source). Take a look at this sampling of Madagascar's plant richness:
10 families and 260 genera of plants are endemic to Madagascar. Only Australia (with 13) has more endemic species of plants.
165 of Madagascar's 170 palms are not found anywhere else. For comparison, mainland Africa has less than 60 species of palm
Of the 8 species of baobab found in the world, six are endemic to Madagascar
An entire family of plants, the Didiereaceae is unique to Madagascar. Didiereaceae plants are found in the arid southwest and closely resemble some forms of cacti. Unlike catci though, they produce small deciduous leaves which are protected by meanacing thorns and spines that grow directly out of the plant's many branches.
95% of the species found in the Spiny desert exist only in this habitat unique to Madagascar.
Madagascar has nearly 1000 known species of orchids, of which 85% are endemic.
Anti-cancer drugs (vincristine, vinblastine) derived from the Madagascar rosy periwinkle generated over a billion dollars in revenue for Eli Lilly & Co.
The Missouri Botanical Garden has an excellent collection of photos and information on Madagascar's flora. Below are some links to Missouri Botanical Garden content.
RECENT NEWS Dell becomes carbon neutral by saving endangered lemurs (08/06/2008)Every year as much as one-third of Dell, the world's largest computer maker, announced it has become the first major technology company to achieve carbon neutrality.
Population of critically endangered lemurs discovered in Madagascar (7/22/2008) Scientists in Madagascar have discovered a population of greater bamboo lemurs (Prolemur simus), a critically endangered species of primate, in an area more than 400 kilometers away from its only known refuge, reports conservation International.
Lemurs are key to health of Madagascar's rainforests (06/12/2008) Lemurs play a key role in the health of Madagascar's tropical rainforests said a renowned primatologist speaking at a meeting of conservation biologists in Paramaribo, Suriname.
Madagascar signs big carbon deal to fund rainforest conservation (06/11/2008> Madagascar will sell more than nine million tons of carbon offsets to fund rainforest conservation in a newly established protected area. conservationists say the deal protect endangered wildlife, promote sustainable development to improve the economic well-being of people living in and around the park area, and help fight global warming.
Conservation is saving lemurs and helping people in Madagascar (5/7/2007) Madagascar, an island nation that lies off the coast of southeastern Africa, has long been famous for its unique and diverse species of wildlife, especially lemurs--primates found nowhere else on the planet. In recent years, the island country has also become world-renowned for conservation efforts that are succeeding in spite of extraordinary pressures from a poor population that relies heavily on forest burning for basic subsistence. A large part of this success is due to the early efforts of Patricia Wright, a primatologist who has been working in the country for more than 20 years. Wright led the effort to launch the country's leading protected area and helped Madagascar become a leading global example of conservation despite its economic adversity.
