Chlorophytum borivilianum
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophytum_borivilianum
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Chlorophytum borivilianum faces severe population decline primarily due to intensive commercial harvesting for its medicinal tubers, which are highly valued in traditional Ayurvedic medicine and modern pharmaceutical applications. Habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urbanization across its native range in western India has further fragmented remaining populations. Overexploitation combined with the species' slow reproductive rate and specific soil requirements has pushed this endemic herb to the brink of extinction in the wild.
Habitat
This endemic herb occurs in dry deciduous forests and grasslands of western India, particularly in Maharashtra and Gujarat states. It thrives in well-drained, rocky soils with specific moisture and nutrient conditions typical of semi-arid tropical ecosystems.
