Our present knowledge about the history and composition of the vegetation and flora of Libya

ABSTRACT Although the documentation of data about the Libyan vegetation began since ancient time and modern studies started at the beginning of the eighteenth century, the Libyan flora is not fully understood, particularly in the interior lands, the southern mountains, desert valleys and depressions, and, of course, the northern valleys. The number of recorded Libyan plants is about 2082 species; this is not commensurate with the vast area of Libya (1.75 million km2), nor with the significant variation amongst the various ecotypes in the different biogeographical zones of the country. Therefore, the flora and vegetation survey in Libya is still an open field of study, and the ease and continuous recording of new species demonstrate the necessity to document the bibliography of the flora and conduct more detailed investigations. Furthermore, an arbitration process and scrutiny of the collected plant specimens to produce an updated checklist and modern classification of the flora does not exist yet. This study is an attempt to provide a detailed and closed review of the literature and afford updated data about the composition of the flora, which could be an important step for initiating a reassessment and updating of the vegetation and flora of Libya.