Summary
Included here is the Atlantic coast of Africa from southwestern Gambia to eastern Ghana as far as about zero degrees longitude.
Of the endemic and near endemic vascular plants so far recorded there are about 736 species in 372 genera and 100 families. There are 57 endemic genera (marked red) but no endemic families. However, Dioncophyllaceae is endemic to western Africa, Achariaceae and Thomandersiaceae are endemic to Africa and Ancistrocladaceae is confined to Old World tropics. Of some biogeographic interest the endemic genus Maschalocephalus is the only Old World genus of the American family Rapateaceae and the endemic species Pitcairnia felicina is the only Old World species of the American family Bromeliaceae.
References
Brenan, J. P. M. 1978. Some aspects of the phytogeography of tropical Africa. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 65: 437-474.
Poorter, L., Bongers, F., Kouame, F. N. & Hawthorn, W. D. 2004. Biodiversity of West African Forests. CABI Publishing.
White, F. 1983. The Vegetation of Africa. UNESCO.