Plants of Ukraine are rich and diverse, with more then 10000 wild higher and lower plant species. About 4000 are algae (more then 600 marine; more then 3000 fresh-water and land, made up of more than 1600 green algae, and about 500 each of diatoms and blue-green algae). In addition there are up to 1000 lichens, up to 800 bryophytes, and more then 4500 vascular plants, with the following breakdown: Lycopodiopsida (9), Equisetopsida (10), Pteridopsida (53), gymnosperms (22), angiosperms (4429) composed of 3599 dicotyledons and 830 monocotyledons. In terms of species numbers, the largest families are: Compositae (664), Leguminosae (286), Rosaceae (237), Cruciferae (232), Caryophyllaceae (222), Labiatae (213), Scrophulariaceae (165), Umbelliferae (148) and Cyperaceae (143). In terms of life forms, Ukraine's vascular plants are distributed as follows: trees (76 species, 1.68%), shrubs and semi-shrubs (278, 6.15%), perennial herbs (2856, 63.15%) and annual herbs (1313, 29%). Ukraine's plants are found in the following ecosystems: pine forests (270 species), oak forests (700), mountain spruce forests (100), meadows (500), steppes (more then 850), limestone and chalk vegetation (400), rocks (100), sands (350), saltmarsh (200), bogs (300), subalpine and alpine vegetation (500), habitats seriously altered by human activity (about 1200, 646 of which are alien). In Ukraine there are about 500 endemic and subendemic species of vascular plants. In Polissia 1400 vascular plants have been recorded, including 15 endemics or subendemics, and in Volyn-Podillia 1884 and 46 respectively. In the Ukrainian Carpathians 2012 species are known, of which 27 are pancarpathian endemics, 33 south- and east-carpathian endemics, and 20 east-carpathian endemics. The flora of the right-bank forest-steppe consists of more then 1650 species (50 of which are endemic), the Donetsk-Pryazov upland has 1800 species and 70 endemics, the west part of the steppe zone 1800 species and 50 endemics, the Crimea 2400 species and 240 endemics (with 1120 species in the plains, and more than 2200 in the mountains). At present 190000 km square of Ukraine (30% of the total) is under natural vegetation, with 82000 km square forest, 68000 km square meadows, 8000 km square bogs, and 10000 km square saltmarsh. The rest is occupied by steppe, bush, sand, rock, and fresh-water vegetation. Plant communities in Ukraine are classified in 3806 associations of 348 formations. The "Green Book of Ukraine" (1987) contains 127 rare, endangered and specialist plant communities of different ranks. The second edition of "The Red Book of Ukraine" lists 439 species of vascular plants, 28 bryophytes, 17 algae and 27 lichens. The "European Red List" contains 84 species of vascular plants found in Ukraine.