Flora
About 670 native species of flowering plant are found in Mauritius and nearly half of these are endemic. Rainforest formerly covered most of the island with palm savannah in drier regions and areas of heathland in the mountains. Most of this natural vegetation has been destroyed and what remains is threatened by the spread of introduced plants.
The national flower of Mauritius is Trochetia boutoniana or "boucle d'oreille" which is now restricted to a single mountain. Native trees include the Mauritius ebony (Diospyros tesselaria), takamaka (Calophyllum tacamahaca) and various palms. Introduced plants that have become invasive include "Chinese" (actually Brazilian) guava (Psidium littorale) and Lantana camara. Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea glabra) and frangipani (Plumeria alba) are among the most commonly planted ornamental species.
Read more about this topic: Fauna Of Mauritius
Famous quotes containing the word flora:
“A man’s interest in a single bluebird is worth more than a complete but dry list of the fauna and flora of a town.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)