Analysis of the list

Estimates for the global number of vascular plant species commonly range from 250,000-270,000. In this book, analyses are made against the estimate of 270,000 thereby under- rather than over-estimating the figure for percent species threatened. Figures for the number of genera per family are mainly taken from Brummitt (1992) or from Cronquist (1991). Figures for number of species per genus and number of species per country are taken from a wide range of sources whose data sources were not able to be shown in this list. Undoubtedly, there may be other, equally or more valid, estimates for many of these figures.