ENDEMIC VASCULAR PLANTS OF THE INTERIOR HIGHLANDS, U.S.A

We evaluate the 36 endemic vascular plants of the Interior Highlands of Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Most of the endemic flora of the region are herbaceous perennials, although nearly a quarter of the endemic plant taxa are annuals. An analysis of the community affiliations of the region's endemic flora reveals that most endemic taxa are associated with glade habitats maintained by edaphic conditions and fire. Riparian habitats and fire-maintained pine-oak woodlands are other habitat associations with significant endemic flora. The Ouachita Mountains region of the Interior Highlands contains a disproportionate representation of the endemic taxa relative to its area, although there is also a smaller cohort of endemics restricted to the Ozark portion of the Interior Highlands.