Chamaecrista phyllostachya
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Chamaecrista phyllostachya faces severe pressure from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching across its limited range in Brazil's Cerrado savanna. Urban development and infrastructure projects have fragmented remaining populations, while altered fire regimes disrupt the natural burning cycles essential for Cerrado plant communities. The species' restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized habitat destruction.
Habitat
This leguminous shrub is endemic to the Cerrado savanna of central Brazil, where it grows in open grasslands and woodland edges with well-drained soils. The species depends on the Cerrado's characteristic fire-adapted ecosystem, thriving in areas subject to periodic natural burning cycles.