This book integrates a diverse and scattered literature to produce a synthetic account of plant evolutionary ecology. The central theme is differentiation, both among and within species, in the contemporary flora of the Mediterranean basin. This theme is developed by linking population processes to species evolution, and by examining the variation and evolution of ecological function in the context of spatial habitat variation and regional history. The Mediterranean is a region with a complex geological and climatic history, and a highly heterogeneous landscape in which human activities have greatly modified local conditions and the spatial configuration of habitats. This book explores the evolutionary processes that have shaped plant evolution in the context of these major influences on vegetation. The book is structured around two central topics in evolutionary ecology: diversity and adaptation. The Mediterranean region is a hotspot of plant biodiversity, a key ingredient of which is its richness in endemic species. A primary question motivating this book concerns the role of historical factors and spatial environmental variation in the evolution of such endemism. The Mediterranean landscape is also characterized by dramatic variations in ecological conditions, often over short distances. A second focus is on the ecological and historical factors that mediate dispersal, reproduction, and adaptive trait variation in the Mediterranean mosaic.