Abstract

Vascular plant endemism in the diverse vegetation zones and physiognomic habitat types of some islands or archipelagos is described and analysed in detail. The Juan Fernández Islands, Madeira Archipelago, Corsica and Madagascar, located in different regions and oceans of the world, present their own unique evolutionary histories and composition of habitats and endemics. The concentration of endemics on Juan Fernández Islands, the Madeira archipelago, Corsica and additionally Tenerife is compared directly, as the absolute numbers of endemic taxa there are similar.