CR

Uncaria thwaitesii

Unknown

Overview

Uncaria elliptica, synonym Uncaria thwaitesii, is a species of plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is native from Sri Lanka through Indo-China to west Malesia.

Uncaria thwaitesii faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation and habitat fragmentation across its native range in Sri Lanka's wet zone forests. The species is particularly vulnerable to logging activities and agricultural expansion, which have dramatically reduced the extent of suitable lowland rainforest habitat. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns that may affect the humid conditions this climbing shrub requires for optimal growth.

Threat summary

Habitat

Uncaria thwaitesii is endemic to the tropical wet zone forests of Sri Lanka, where it grows as a climbing shrub in lowland rainforests and secondary forest areas. The species typically inhabits humid, shaded environments with consistent moisture levels, often found in forest understories and along forest edges at elevations below 1,000 meters.

Forest· major

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Uncaria thwaitesii classified as Critically Endangered?
Uncaria thwaitesii is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Uncaria thwaitesii faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation and habitat fragmentation across its native range in Sri Lanka's wet zone forests. The species is particularly vulnerable to logging activities and agricultural expansion, which have dramatically reduced the extent of suitable lowland rainforest habitat. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns that may affect the humid conditions this climbing shrub requires for optimal growth.
Where does Uncaria thwaitesii live?
Uncaria thwaitesii occurs in Sri Lanka. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Uncaria thwaitesii?
The main threats to Uncaria thwaitesii are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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