This paper aims to answer the following questions: 1-what is the actual number of near-endemic taxa in the Egyptian flora?, 2-what are the reasons and justifications for addition or exclusion of plants to or from the final list of near-endemic taxa?, 3-what are the conservation categories of near-endemic taxa according to IUCN?, 4-How can we make a red list of these taxa?, 5-what are the services and goods offered by near-endemic taxa?, and 6-what are the threats that impact these taxa most?. These aims are achieved through preparing a recent list for the near-endemic taxa and their habitats in the Egyptian flora. The lists were analyzed in terms of taxonomic diversity, life and sex forms, size structure, flowering activity, dispersal types, economic potential, threats and national floristic distribution, and IUCN categories. The total number of near-endemic taxa in the prepared recent list is 73, belonging to 58 genera and 28 families; and were recorded in 11 habitats. The life form represented most is the therophytes while the ballochores and pogonochores are the most represented dispersal types. There was a gradual increase in the frequency of the flowered taxa until reaching a maximum value from March to May, and then decreased again reaching a minimum value from August to January. Near endemics are distributed in Egypt and adjacent countries as follows: 39 taxa with Palestine, 19 with Libya, 8 with Saudi Arabia, 4 with Sudan, 2 with Jordan, and only one with Lebanon. Fifty-one taxa had a distribution in only one phyto-geographical region, while the remaining taxa had a distribution in two or more regions. All near-endemic taxa have at least one aspect of economic goods and exposed to at least one type of threats, where the most represented good was the medicinal uses, while over-collecting and over-cutting were the most represented threats. In this paper, 30 near-endemics were evaluated according to IUCN categories as follows: 12 endangered, 5 critically endangered, 4 extinct and 1 vulnerable, while 8 species are data deficient. In addition, 36 near-endemics were also evaluated in previous studies according to IUCN categories as follows: 15 endangered, 11 critically endangered, 7 vulnerable, 2 rare and 1 least concern.

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This study aimed to update and assess the list of endemic plants in the Egyptian flora, based on information obtained during field trips, literature reviews, and herbaria consultations. Life forms, habitat, national distribution, rarity forms, local threats, and conservation status according to IUCN categories, were estimated for these plants. Twenty field visits were conducted from summer 2015 to spring 2020 to many locations all over Egypt. The recent list includes 42 species (belonging to 37 genera and 20 families inhabiting 10 main habitats). Rocky surfaces and sandy formations have the highest number of endemic species, most of them are therophytes. Sinaitico-Arabian sector is the richest in endemics (19 taxa), followed by the Marioutico-Arishian (17 taxa). Small geographic range-small habitat-non-abundant plants are the most represented rarity form. All endemics are exposed to at least one type of local threat, the most prominent threats being over-collecting and over-cutting. According to the guidelines of IUCN, 31 of the endemic taxa are threatened, thus requiring in situ and ex situ conservation. Out of them, 11 taxa are believed to be Extinct, five are Critically Endangered, and 15 Endangered. In addition, 11 taxa are evaluated as Data Deficient. Further studies are still needed to verify and fill the information gaps about the Egyptian endemics.

The endemic taxa were restricted to a specific geographic region and they are essential for setting conservation priorities. This study aimed to update the endemic taxa list in Saint Katherine Protectorate (SKP) depending on literature reviews, field trips and herbaria consultation. Other characters also recorded viz, sex forms, dispersal types and flowering time. Also, the morphological characters of the pollen grains and seeds were examined and photographed using light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, the mineral composition of pollens and seeds was detected using energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The updated list included 13 taxa belonging to 11 genera and 8 families. All the recorded taxa were bisexual; ballochores were the most represented dispersal type. There was a gradual increase in the endemic taxa from March to August while decreasing from October to February. Pollens were isopolar and medium in size. They possessed colpate, colporate, or porate aperatus, as well as reticulate exine sculpture. Furthermore, operculum and margo were absent in most of the pollens. The seed colour ranged from light brown to black; elliptic; basal hilum; polygonal and irregular-shaped seeds were the most represented. All previous characters were diagnosed at generic and specific levels, which helped in the construction of artificial keys to facilitate the differentiation between the studied taxa. The present study has the priority in describing pollens and seeds of Astragalus fresenii and Micromeria serbaliana, in addition to the description of the seeds of Ballota kaiseri. The presence and percentage of twelve elements detected by EDX differed significantly within the investigated pollen grains and seeds. The present data indicated that pollen grains and seeds of studied taxa had high percentages of carbon, oxygen, phosphorous, magnesium, nitrogen and calcium. This study is the first attempt using EDX technique with these taxa. © 2021 Friends Science Publishers

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