Solanum carchiense
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Solanum carchiense faces severe pressure from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching in Ecuador's Carchi Province, where its montane forest habitat is being rapidly converted to pastureland and crop cultivation. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to localized habitat destruction, while climate change threatens to shift suitable temperature and precipitation conditions beyond its narrow altitudinal tolerance zone.
Habitat
This endemic Ecuadorian nightshade inhabits cloud forests and montane scrublands in the Andes of Carchi Province, typically occurring at elevations between 2,800-3,400 meters. It grows in humid, cool conditions along forest edges and in secondary vegetation where mist and cloud cover provide consistent moisture.