Heliconia paludigena
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Heliconia paludigena faces severe pressure from wetland habitat destruction across its limited range in Central America. Agricultural expansion and urban development have systematically drained and converted the marshy lowlands essential for this species' survival. Climate change compounds these threats by altering precipitation patterns that maintain the waterlogged soils this heliconia requires, while invasive plant species increasingly compete for space in remaining suitable habitats.
Habitat
This species inhabits permanently waterlogged soils in lowland marshes, swamp edges, and seasonally flooded forests of Central America. It requires consistently moist to saturated substrate conditions and typically grows in areas with high humidity and partial shade.