West Indian meadowbeauty
Rhexia cubensis
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
5
Countries
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Family
Melastomataceae
Genus
Rhexia
West Indian meadowbeauty belongs to the family Melastomataceae, order Myrtales, within the Magnoliopsida class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
West Indian meadowbeauty faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development, agriculture, and coastal infrastructure projects throughout its limited range in the Caribbean. The species' restricted distribution to specific wetland habitats makes it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes and human encroachment. Climate change and sea level rise pose additional risks to its coastal and low-lying wetland ecosystems.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Inhabits freshwater and brackish wetlands, marshy areas, pond margins, and seasonally flooded grasslands in low-lying coastal regions. The species typically occurs in open, sunny wetland habitats with fluctuating water levels.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
West Indian meadowbeauty faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development, agriculture, and coastal infrastructure projects throughout its limited range in the Caribbean. The species' restricted distribution to specific wetland habitats makes it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes and human encroachment. Climate change and sea level rise pose additional risks to its coastal and low-lying wetland ecosystems.
Agricultural conversion of wetlands
Climate change and sea level rise
Coastal infrastructure development
Habitat loss from urban development
Wetland drainage and modification
Found in 5 Countries
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). West Indian meadowbeauty (Rhexia cubensis). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/west-indian-meadowbeauty