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Brazil: Flora

Total Number of Identified Living Species: 169,179

(These numbers are derived from various field resources whose numbers vary but are similar.  These numbers are authoritative through available data. Primary sources are: UNEP – Megadiverse Brazil and State University of Campinas- Institute of Biology & Environmental Studies and Research)

  • Identified Flora/Fungi:  53,610 species
    • Conifers (gymnosperms): 30
    • Flowering Plants (angiosperms): 33,696
    • Ferns and Fern Allies (lycophytes): 1,380
    • Mosses & Liverworts: 1,584
    • Mushrooms: 5,718
    • Fungi & Lichens: 6,230
    • Algae: 4,972

Total Number of Endangered/Threatened Plant and Animal Species: 2,040
(IUCN Red List and Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics )
Threatened species are considered vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered.

  • 65% (1,326) are plant species.
  • 35% (714) are animal species.
  • The leading cause of wildlife extinction in Brazil is invasive species such as dogs, rats, pigs, lizards, snakes and humans (yes, humans!), accounting for about 39% of the devastation. Two other main reasons are habitat destruction (36%) and hunting (25%).

Fast Fact: Brazil has the greatest number of plant species in the world with nearly 50,000 different species identified and tens of thousands are estimated to yet be discovered.