CR

Ixora temehaniensis

Declining

Overview

Ixora temehaniensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to the island Raiatea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia.

Ixora temehaniensis faces severe threats from habitat degradation on its restricted range in French Polynesia's mountainous regions. Invasive plant species compete directly with this endemic shrub, while feral ungulates damage the fragile montane ecosystem through trampling and browsing. Climate change poses an additional long-term threat as rising temperatures may force this cool-climate specialist to retreat to increasingly limited high-elevation refugia.

Threat summary

Habitat

This endemic shrub inhabits the montane cloud forests and high-elevation shrublands of Tahiti's volcanic peaks, typically found between 1,000-2,000 meters elevation. It grows in cool, moist conditions among native vegetation on steep slopes and ridge systems where persistent cloud cover provides essential moisture.

Other threatened species in RUBIACEAE

EN

Arachnothryx tacanensis

Declining
CR

Arachnothryx tenorioi

Unknown
VU

Aidia abeidii

Unknown
EN

Arachnothryx tuxtlensis

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Ixora temehaniensis classified as Critically Endangered?
Ixora temehaniensis is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Ixora temehaniensis faces severe threats from habitat degradation on its restricted range in French Polynesia's mountainous regions. Invasive plant species compete directly with this endemic shrub, while feral ungulates damage the fragile montane ecosystem through trampling and browsing. Climate change poses an additional long-term threat as rising temperatures may force this cool-climate specialist to retreat to increasingly limited high-elevation refugia.
Where does Ixora temehaniensis live?
Ixora temehaniensis occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Ixora temehaniensis?
The main threats to Ixora temehaniensis are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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