Plants
| Plant Group | Species in Nepal | Endemics |
|---|---|---|
| Angiosperms (flowering plants) | ca. 5600 | 246 |
| Gymnosperms (conifers and cycads) | 30 | ?? |
| Pteridophytes (ferns and fern allies) | 534 | 8 |
| Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) | ca. 900 | 30 |
| Algae | ca. 700 | 3 |
| Fungi | ca. 1500 | 16 |
| Lichens | ca. 500 | 39 |
There have been nine known extinctions, eight of these were endemic species.
Plant altitude records: Alpine flowering plant vegetation reaches to 6100 m (albeit in a sparse state), but tight cushions of Stellaria decumbens have been found at 6135m in Makalu*, and mosses and lichens are commonly found up to 6300m. The highest recorded altitude for an endemic is 5800 m (Lagotis nepalensis in west Nepal), and the lowest is 130 m (Begonia tribenensis in east Nepal). Further information on the plants of Nepal is provided on the Flora of Nepal pages.
[*Zimmerman's 1952 Everest expedition (see Candollea, 15 1954-6, page 134) reported that they found several small plants, not yet determined, on a moraine between Camp IV and Camp V at 6350 m. These specimens could not be traced at Geneva, so their identity remains a mystery.]
[*Zimmerman's 1952 Everest expedition (see Candollea, 15 1954-6, page 134) reported that they found several small plants, not yet determined, on a moraine between Camp IV and Camp V at 6350 m. These specimens could not be traced at Geneva, so their identity remains a mystery.]