Ceratostema bracteolatum
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Ceratostema bracteolatum faces severe pressure from ongoing deforestation and agricultural expansion throughout its limited Andean range. Mining activities and infrastructure development have fragmented remaining cloud forest habitats, while climate change is shifting suitable elevation zones upward faster than the species can adapt. The plant's restricted distribution and specialized pollination requirements make it particularly vulnerable to habitat degradation.
Habitat
This endemic shrub inhabits montane cloud forests and elfin woodlands at elevations between 2,800-3,500 meters in the northern Andes. It requires the persistent moisture and cool temperatures characteristic of these high-altitude ecosystems, often growing in moss-laden forest understories and forest edges.
