Ceratozamia mexicana
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Ceratozamia mexicana faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development in its limited range within the Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. Illegal collection for the horticultural trade poses an additional significant threat, as these slow-growing cycads are highly valued by collectors. The species' extremely restricted distribution and small population size make it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions from these combined pressures.
Habitat
This cycad is endemic to the cloud forests and pine-oak woodlands of the Sierra Madre Oriental in eastern Mexico, typically growing on steep slopes at elevations between 1,200-2,000 meters. It thrives in the humid, misty conditions of these montane forests where it grows as an understory species among ferns and other shade-tolerant vegetation.
