List of critically endangered plants explained

As of December 2023, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 5702 plant species categorized as Critically Endangered, including 569 which are tagged as possibly extinct and 48 possibly extinct in the wild.^{[1] [2]} 8.6% of all evaluated plant species are listed as critically endangered. The IUCN also lists 284 subspecies and varieties as critically endangered.

Additionally 5371 plant species (8.1% of those evaluated) are listed as data deficient, meaning there is insufficient information for a full assessment of conservation status. As these species typically have small distributions and/or populations, they are intrinsically likely to be threatened, according to the IUCN.^[3] While the category of data deficient indicates that no assessment of extinction risk has been made for the taxa, the IUCN notes that it may be appropriate to give them "the same degree of attention as threatened taxa, at least until their status can be assessed."^[4]

This is a complete list of critically endangered plant species, subspecies and varieties evaluated by the IUCN. Species considered possibly extinct by the IUCN are marked as such.

Bryophytes

There are 23 bryophyte species assessed as critically endangered.

Liverworts

Pteridophytes

There are 67 species and three varieties of pteridophyte assessed as critically endangered.

Leptosporangiate ferns

There are 54 species and three varieties in the class Polypodiopsida assessed as critically endangered.

Polypodiales

There are 49 species and three varieties in the order Polypodiales assessed as critically endangered.

Dryopteridaceae

SpeciesVarieties

Other Polypodiales species

Salviniales

• Marsilea fadeniana

Other pteridophyte species

Gymnosperms

There are 81 species, five subspecies, and 13 varieties of gymnosperm assessed as critically endangered.

Cycads

SpeciesSubspecies

Conifers

SpeciesSubspecies

• Abies delavayi subsp. fansipanensis, Fansipan fir
• Pinus torreyana subsp. torreyana^[5]

Varieties

Dicotyledons

There are 1895 species, 78 subspecies, and 49 varieties of dicotyledon assessed as critically endangered.

Piperales

Piperaceae

SpeciesVarieties

• Piper amalago var. variifolium

Campanulales

There are 62 species and 12 subspecies in Campanulales assessed as critically endangered.

Campanulaceae

SpeciesSubspecies

Goodeniaceae

• Scaevola socotraensis

Theales

There are 295 species and 23 subspecies in Theales assessed as critically endangered.

Dipterocarpaceae

SpeciesSubspecies

Other Theales species

Malvales

SpeciesSubspecies

• Elaeocarpus submonoceras subsp. oliganthus
• Hibiscus waimeae subsp. hannerae

Varieties

• Bombax insigne var. polystemon

Lecythidales

SpeciesSubspecies

• Eschweilera piresii subsp. viridipetala

Polygalales

SpeciesSubspecies

• Byrsonima nemoralis subsp. dressleri

Santalales

SpeciesVarieties

• Santalum insulare var. margaretae
• Santalum insulare var. raivavense

Proteales

Family Proteaceae - 103 species

Family Sabiaceae - 5 species

Rubiales

SpeciesSubspeciesVarieties

• Chassalia coriacea var. johnstonii
• Coprosma rapensis var. benefica, Red berry

Violales

SpeciesSubspecies

• Cistus heterophyllus subsp. carthaginensis
• Viola chamissoniana subsp. chamissoniana

Euphorbiales

There are 74 species, two subspecies, and ten varieties in Euphorbiales assessed as critically endangered.

Peraceae

• Chaetocarpus pubescens

Buxaceae

• Buxus vahlii, Vahl's boxwood

Euphorbiaceae

SpeciesSubspecies

• Euphorbia cylindrifolia subsp. tuberifera
• Euphorbia stenoclada subsp. ambatofinandranae

Varieties

Laurales

There are 40 species in the order Laurales assessed as critically endangered.

Hernandiaceae

• Hernandia cubensis
• Hernandia temarii

Lauraceae

Cucurbitales

SpeciesSubspecies

• Begonia quadrialata subsp. dusenii

Ebenales

There are 46 species in Ebenales assessed as critically endangered.

Symplocaceae

• Symplocos versicolor

Styracaceae

• Styrax portoricensis

Celastrales

There are 29 species and two subspecies in the order Celastrales assessed as critically endangered.

Hollies

SpeciesSubspecies

• Ilex perado subsp. iberica
• Ilex perado subsp. lopezlilloi

Dichapetalaceae

• Dichapetalum korupinum
• Dichapetalum letouzeyi

Myrtales

There are 97 species and five varieties in the order Myrtales assessed as critically endangered.

Myrtaceae

SpeciesVarieties

• Eugenia harrisii var. grandifolia
• Myrrhinium atropurpureum var. atropurpureum

Combretaceae

Species

• Combretum tenuipetiolatum

Varieties

Water caltrops

• Trapa colchica, Colchis water-chestnut

Onagraceae

• Epilobium numidicum

Sapindales

There are 70 species, three subspecies, and five varieties in the order Sapindales assessed as critically endangered.

Rutaceae

SpeciesSubspecies

• Pilocarpus goudotianus subsp. heterochromus

Varieties

• Zanthoxylum dipetalum var. tomentosum

Aceraceae

Species

• Acer hainanense
• Acer leipoense

Varieties

• Acer buergerianum var. formosanum, Taiwan trident maple
• Acer oblongum var. membranaceum

Sapindaceae

SpeciesVarieties

• Alectryon macrococcus var. auwahiensis
• Alectryon macrococcus var. macrococcus

Meliaceae

SpeciesSubspecies

• Trichilia trifolia subsp. pteleaefolia
• Turraea mombassana subsp. schliebenii

Burseraceae

• Canarium whitei
• Commiphora wightii

Asterales

SpeciesSubspeciesVarieties

Magnoliales

There are 63 species and three subspecies in the order Magnoliales assessed as critically endangered.

Canellaceae

• Cinnamodendron angustifolium
• Pleodendron macranthum

Magnoliaceae

SpeciesSubspecies

• Magnolia cubensis subsp. acunae
• Magnolia virginiana subsp. oviedoae

Annonaceae

SpeciesSubspecies

• Artabotrys modestus subsp. modestus

Myristicaceae

Capparales

There are 30 species and one variety in Capparales assessed as critically endangered.

Cruciferae

SpeciesVarieties

• Aethionema grandiflorum var. sintenisii, Persian stonecress

Apiales

There are 51 species and two varieties in the order Apiales assessed as critically endangered.

Araliaceae

SpeciesVarieties

• Polyscias sechellarum var. contracta
• Polyscias sechellarum var. curiosae

Umbelliferae

Gentianales

There are 41 species, two subspecies, and one variety in the order Gentianales assessed as critically endangered.

Loganiaceae

SpeciesVarieties

• Labordia tinifolia var. wahiawaensis

Asclepiadaceae

SpeciesSubspecies

• Ceropegia decidua subsp. pretoriensis
• Pentarrhinum abyssinicum subsp. ijimense

Gentianaceae

Rosales

There are 48 species, two subspecies, and one variety in the order Rosales assessed as critically endangered.

Rosaceae

SpeciesSubspecies

• Alchemilla fischeri subsp. camerunensis
• Polylepis tomentella subsp. nana

Other Rosales

SpeciesVarieties

• Geissois ternata var. serrata

Primulales

There are 28 species and one variety in Primulales assessed as critically endangered.

Theophrastaceae

Species

• Clavija parvula

Varieties

• Jacquinia macrantha var. clarendonensis

Primulaceae

Rhamnales

SpeciesVarieties

• Cayratia pedata var. glabra

Urticales

SpeciesVarieties

• Neraudia angulata var. angulata
• Neraudia angulata var. dentata

Solanales

SpeciesVarieties

• Ipomoea prismatosyphon var. trifida

Scrophulariales

There are 75 species, two subspecies, and one variety in the order Scrophulariales assessed as critically endangered.

Gesneriaceae

SpeciesSubspecies

• Saintpaulia ionantha subsp. grandifolia
• Saintpaulia ionantha subsp. rupicola

Varieties

• Gesneria scabra var. fawcettii

Other Scrophulariales species

Lamiales

There are 64 species and three varieties in the order Lamiales assessed as critically endangered.

Labiatae

SpeciesVarieties

Boraginaceae

Nepenthales

SpeciesSubspecies

• Sarracenia rubra subsp. alabamensis

Ranunculales

SpeciesVarieties

• Cissampelos nigrescens var. cardiophylla

Fabales

SpeciesSubspecies

• Astragalus macrocarpus subsp. lefkarensis, Lefkara milk-vetch

Varieties

• Humboldtia unijuga var. trijuga

Caryophyllales

There are 145 species, two subspecies, and one variety in the order Caryophyllales assessed as critically endangered.

Caryophyllaceae

SpeciesSubspecies

• Moehringia intricata subsp. tejedensis

Cactus

SpeciesSubspecies

• Ariocarpus bravoanus subsp. bravoanus

Other Caryophyllales

SpeciesVarieties

• Achyranthes splendens var. rotundata

Fagales

SpeciesSubspecies

• Betula lenta subsp. uber, Virginia round-leaf birch
• Betula procurva subsp. schugnanica

Other dicotyledons

SpeciesVarieties

• Rhododendron protistum var. giganteum

Monocotyledons

There are 421 species, six subspecies, and five varieties of monocotyledon assessed as critically endangered.

Arecales

SpeciesVarieties

Orchidales

There are 167 species and one subspecies in Orchidales assessed as critically endangered.

Orchidaceae

SpeciesSubspecies

• Cynorkis buchwaldiana subsp. buchwaldiana

Burmanniaceae

Liliales

SpeciesSubspecies

• Narcissus nevadensis subsp. enemeritoi

Arales

Araceae

SpeciesSubspecies

• Arisaema heterocephalum subsp. okinawaense

Cyperales

There are 37 species, two subspecies, and two varieties in Cyperales assessed as critically endangered.

Gramineae

SpeciesSubspecies

• Puccinellia distans subsp. embergeri
• Puccinellia distans subsp. font-queri

Varieties

• Cenchrus agrimonioides var. agrimonioides

Cyperaceae

SpeciesVarieties

• Cyperus pennatiformis var. bryanii

Other monocotyledons

SpeciesSubspecies

• Najas marina subsp. arsenariensis

See also

• Lists of IUCN Red List critically endangered species
• List of least concern plants
• List of near threatened plants
• List of vulnerable plants
• List of endangered plants
• List of recently extinct plants
• List of data deficient plants

Notes and References

1. Web site: IUCN Red List version 2023-1 . 31 December 2023 . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
2. Web site: Table 9: Possibly Extinct and Possibly Extinct in the Wild Species (IUCN Red List version 2023-1) . 31 December 2023 . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
3. Web site: Limitations of the Data. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). 11 January 2016.
4. Web site: 2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). 11 January 2016.
5. Farjon, A. . 2013 . Pinus torreyana subsp. torreyana . 2013 . e.T34015A2840365 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T34015A2840365.en . 27 September 2020.