Final answer:
An endemic species, plant, or disease is naturally found only in a certain restricted geographical area. The Venus flytrap and the forest gardenia in Hawaii are examples of endemic species, while malaria is an example of an endemic disease in some tropical regions.
Step-by-step explanation:
An endemic is a species, plant, or disease that is naturally found only in a specific geographic area that is usually restricted in size. For instance, the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is an endemic species, as it only naturally exists in a small area in North and South Carolina. In contrast, generalist species like the raccoon (Procyon spp) are found in a wide range of geographic areas, making their distribution much more extensive. Endemic species can also be plants, such as the forest gardenia in Hawaii, which is extremely rare, possibly with only 15-20 trees in existence. Diseases can also have an endemic status; malaria, for example, is endemic to some tropical countries where it is transmitted year-round by mosquitoes, rather than appearing in episodic outbreaks.