Frequently asked questions

What is this site about?

The flowering plants and ferns of Malawi.

Which plants are covered?

Primarily we deal with native and naturalised plants. In particular, the Pteridophyta (ferns and fern allies) and the Spermatophyta (seed-bearing plants). We have not covered mosses, liverworts, lichens, stoneworts or fungi.

With lower priority, we have also included some information on the cultivated plants of Malawi but we have very little information on these at present.

What is the aim of the site?

As with the Flora of Zimbabwe site, the intention is eventually to create an online flora, comprising:

• descriptions
• keys
• images
• means of naming the plants
• information about their frequency of occurrence, status, habitat, distribution and uses.

Who created the site?

The site was started by Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave in August 2014.

A more detailed history of the site, its development and contents may be found on the Site history page

Why was the site created?

The site was created in order to extend the coverage of our websites to the whole of the Flora Zambesiaca area.

What area is covered?

The site covers the whole of Malawi.

Who pays for the site?

The site is entirely non-profit. Costs are borne by the authors; we receive no sponsorship or financial support at all.

Can I contribute to the site?

Contributions are welcome. These might be in the form of images of Malawian plants, assisting with writing up genera or species or the extraction of records. There is always a lot of work to be done and any help would be welcome and wil be acknowledged.

How can I find plants on the site?

If you know the name of the plant, that is the Latin, English, or vernacular name for the plant, you can try searching for it using the box in the top right of the home page.

Note that coverage of even the Latin names of Malawian native plants is still very incomplete and there are very few vernacular names for any of the species.