Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: We have counted the currently known, described and accepted number of plant species as ca 374,000, of which approximately 308,312 are vascular plants, with 295,383 flowering plants (angiosperms; monocots: 74,273; eudicots: 210,008). Global numbers of smaller plant groups are as follows: algae ca 44,000, liverworts ca 9,000, hornworts ca 225, mosses 12,700, lycopods 1,290, ferns 10,560 and gymnosperms 1,079. Phytotaxa is currently contributing more than a quarter of the ca 2000 species that are described every year, showing that it has become a major contributor to the dissemination of new species discovery. However, the rate of discovery is slowing down, due to reduction in financial and scientific support for fundamental natural history studies.
Source: Phytotaxa
Authors: MAARTEN J.M. CHRISTENHUSZ, JAMES W. BYNG
Institutions: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2406709078