Abstract

Antarctica supports an exceptionally low-diversity terrestrial flora shaped by extreme cold, limited liquid water, low nutrient availability, high UV radiation and salinity. This chapter introduces the principal components of Antarctic terrestrial vegetation and focuses on the continent’s only two native vascular plants, Colobanthus quitensis and Deschampsia antarctica. Their morphology, life history and physiological adaptations to extreme environmental conditions are described, together with their ecological interactions and relatively recent colonization of Antarctica. The chapter highlights the scientific value of these species as models for understanding plant persistence and adaptation under environmental stress and ongoing climate change.