Afrothismia gesnerioides
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Afrothismia gesnerioides faces severe threats from deforestation and agricultural expansion across its extremely limited range in West African rainforests. The species' parasitic lifestyle makes it entirely dependent on specific host plants and mycorrhizal networks, making it exceptionally vulnerable to habitat fragmentation. Mining activities and logging operations have destroyed much of its known habitat, while climate change threatens to alter the delicate forest conditions required for its survival.
Habitat
This parasitic plant inhabits the understory of primary tropical rainforests in West Africa, where it grows as a root parasite on other plants within complex mycorrhizal networks. It requires undisturbed forest conditions with specific humidity and temperature regimes that support both its host plants and the fungal associations essential for its survival.
Conservation measures underway
Other threatened species in AFROTHISMIACEAE
Threatened in Cameroon
Frequently asked questions
Why is Afrothismia gesnerioides classified as Critically Endangered?
Where does Afrothismia gesnerioides live?
What are the main threats to Afrothismia gesnerioides?
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