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Draft:Flora of Samoa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • Comment: needs c/e, references don't show notability Ozzie10aaaa (talk) 15:45, 16 July 2026 (UTC)


Beach hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus)

The Flora of Samoa Includes species of plants found in Samoa. There are 554 flowering plant species, 300 naturalized species, and over 200 ferns, making it one of the largest native vascular species after Hawai'i.[1] The Samoa flora is approximately one-third the size of Fiji's flora, though the two regions share significant floristic affinities due to geographical proximity. In Samoa, the largest family of flowering plants is Orchidaceae (orchids), which includes 101 native species. This represents the highest diversity of orchid flora among all Polynesian islands. The second largest family is Rubiaceae (the madder or coffee family), comprising 47 native and five naturalised species[1]Over 1/3 of the flora is endemic, (about 34 percent) meaning they are found nowhere else in the world.

About the flora

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Forest on Mount Vaea
Falealupo rainforest

Samoa is part of the Polynesia-Micronesia Biodiversity Hotspot, one of 34 regions of the world where extraordinary levels of biodiversity and endemism are high with extremely high levels of threat. The volcanic islands of Savaiʻi and Upolu comprise approximately 90% of the total land area of Samoa. Reaching peak elevations of 1,858 metres, these terrain profiles are ecologically defined by distinct altitudinal vegetation zones composed of lowland, montane, and cloud forests.[2] Of all the ecosystems, the lowland rain forest canopy is predominantly dominated by tree genera such as Diospyros, Calophyllum, Dysoxylum, Pometia, Planchonella, Syzygium, and Myristica.[2] Montane forests support Dysoxylum, Syzygium, Weinmannia, Canarium, and Astronidium. Cloud forest is found above 650 m with tree genera, such as Polyscias, Weinmannia, and Dysoxylum, as well as a few Cyathea plants.[2] The rarest vegetation community in Samoa is the upland swamp forest with only one area remaining.[3]

Origins

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Fagraea berteriana

many of the native flora came from Southeast Asia and New Guinea.[4] There are some exceptions. Such as the Vaccinium whitmeei, a species of the Ericaceae family, which is endemic to Savai'i, which may had have origins from the temperate Americas, Rhizophora mangle, or Togo fafine, Which might of had came from South or North America, and the Gyrocarpus americanus.[5][6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Goodale, Matt (2022-01-03). "NTBG completes the Flora of Samoa". National Tropical Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  2. ^ a b c "Samoan Tropical Moist Forests". One Earth. 2022-07-29. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  3. ^ "Priority Sites for Conservation in Samoa: Key Biodiversity Areas" (PDF). Conservation International - Pacific Islands Programme, Samoa Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  4. ^ "How did life get to Samoa?". 2024-10-20. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  5. ^ "Interesting facts about Samoa's biodiversity…". Samoa Conservation Society. 2024-10-20. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  6. ^ Whistler, Arthur (2019). "Plants of Samoa: A unique but threatened flora" (PDF). SPREP Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2026.

Further reading

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Category:Environment of Samoa