Piper hydrolapathum
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Piper hydrolapathum faces severe threats from deforestation and habitat conversion in its limited range within the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. Agricultural expansion and urban development have fragmented the remaining forest patches where this endemic pepper species occurs. The species' restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized habitat destruction, while climate change may alter the specific microclimatic conditions it requires in montane forest environments.
Habitat
This endemic pepper species inhabits the understory of tropical montane forests in the Western Ghats of India. It typically grows in shaded, humid conditions along forest edges and in secondary forest regeneration areas at elevations between 800-1500 meters.