Phragmipedium kovachii
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Phragmipedium kovachii faces severe pressure from illegal collection for the international orchid trade, driven by its status as one of the most spectacular and recently discovered slipper orchids. Habitat destruction through deforestation and agricultural expansion in its limited Peruvian range compounds these threats. The species' extremely restricted distribution across fewer than five known locations makes it exceptionally vulnerable to local extinctions from overcollection and environmental disturbances.
Habitat
This terrestrial orchid inhabits montane cloud forests and humid limestone cliffs at elevations between 1,500-2,000 meters in the eastern Andes of northern Peru. It grows in moss-covered rocky crevices and steep slopes where constant moisture from cloud cover creates ideal conditions for its specialized root system.
