Flora_of_Montserrat
Flora of Montserrat
Plants found on Montserrat, West Indies
The flora of Montserrat consists of almost 1200 vascular plants[1] and a currently unknown number of bryophytes. The flora is consistent with neighboring islands of the Lesser Antilles. There are three endemic species described, one of which is presumed extinct in the aftermath of the volcanic eruption beginning in 1995.
Montserrat has not been thoroughly botanized, and while the first checklist for the island was presented in Richard Howard's Flora of the Lesser Antilles,[2] Montserrat was neither a significant focus nor thoroughly surveyed. In recent years, there has been an increase in botanical activity in Montserrat, but the results of this research have yet to be published outside of a web-hosted database.[3] For an island in an area known for its biodiversity, relatively few species have been collected. Additionally, most collections from the island were made before the current volcanic activity, necessitating further research. Since 2010, botanists from Kew Botanic Gardens and Bard College at Simon's Rock have been adding to the collections made.