Pleione pleionoides
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Pleione pleionoides faces severe pressure from overcollection for the horticultural trade, where its attractive flowers make it highly sought after by orchid enthusiasts. Habitat degradation through deforestation and agricultural expansion in its montane forest range has fragmented populations and reduced suitable growing sites. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the cool, moist conditions this high-altitude orchid requires for survival.
Habitat
This terrestrial orchid inhabits cool, moist montane forests and alpine meadows at elevations between 2,000-4,000 meters across the Himalayan region. It typically grows in humus-rich soils under partial shade of rhododendron and coniferous forests, often on steep slopes with good drainage.