- Plants of Mexico in critical danger of extinction
- Pteridophytes
- Gymnosperms
- Angiosperms (Dicotyledons)
- Angiosperms (Monocotyledons)
- References
There are 570 plants in danger of extinction in Venezuela, the most important cause being the destruction by man of their natural habitat. In fact, this is the leading cause of species extinction worldwide.
Habitat destruction is defined as a process of natural environmental change caused by habitat fragmentation, geological processes or by human activities. In the Venezuelan case specifically, this is produced by the construction of urban planning, agricultural activities such as cultivation and livestock, and the illegal exploitation of soils for commercial purposes.
Podocarpus salicifolius, an endangered species
Plants of Mexico in critical danger of extinction
Pteridophytes
Pteridophytes are vascular plants and have leaves, roots and, in the case of some species, true stems.
Tree ferns have full trunks, and the leaves of the largest ones can be up to twenty feet in length. Pteridophytes do not have seeds or flowers, reproducing through spores.
Among the plants in danger of extinction in Venezuela of this class, are:
-Cnemidaria amabilis
-Cnemidaria consimilis
-Cnemidaria karsteniana
-Cyathea barringtonii
-Cyathea parianensis
-Cyathea senilis
-Dicksonia sellowiana
-Equisetum giganteum
-Cochlidium pumilum
-Plagiogyria semicordata
-Selaginella gigantea
-Selaginella hartii
Gymnosperms
These shrubs or trees are perennial woody plants. Some are very large and live for thousands of years.
Its trunk is erect, and it may or may not have branches. Its seeds are not found within a fruit, containing a food-laden tissue called the endosperm for future growth of the embryo.
The plants in danger of extinction in Venezuela belonging to gymnosperms are:
-Podocarpus salicifolius
-Retrophyllum rospigliosii
-Zamia muricata
Angiosperms (Dicotyledons)
Angiosperms are characterized by having perfectly differentiated tissues and organs. They all have flowers that produce seeds, and then turn into fruit.
In the case of dicots, their seeds have a cotyledon on both sides of the embryo. Its taproot generally lasts a lifetime.
Angiosperms constitute the largest group of plants in danger of extinction in Venezuela. Among the dicots that are at risk are:
-Aphelandra micans
-Jacaranda caucana ssp. Glabrata
-Ruellia pulverulenta
-Tabebuia donnell-smithii
-Guatteria liesneri
-Unonopsis umbilicata ssp. macrocarpa
-Melocactus curvispinus ssp. caesius
-Forsteronia apurensis
-Mandevilla steyermarkii
-Parahancornia fasciculata
-Cynanchum ventensis
-Marsdenia condensiflora
-Marsdenia robinsonii
-Opuntia lilae
-Stenomeria decalepis
-Achyrocline flavida
-Carramboa trujillensis
-Desmanthodium blepharopodum
-Copaifera camibar
-Espeletia schultzii
-Cleome torticarpa
-Lessingianthus morilloi
-Mikania johnstonii
-Stephanopodium venezuelanum
-Orythrophium blepharophyllum
-Cavendishia ruiz-teranii
-Orythrophium peruvianum
-Orythrophium venezuelense
-Erythroxylum undulatum
-Begonia glandulifera
Angiosperms (Monocotyledons)
Monocotyledonous angiosperms also have a visible flower but, unlike dicots, their seeds only have an embryonic leaf or cotyledon.
Some of the threatened species in Venezuela are:
-Anthurium longissimum subsp. nirguense
-Aechmea dichlamydea var. Dichlamydea
-Philodendron dunstervilleorum
-Billbergia venezuelana
-Aiphanes aculeata
-Glomeropitcairnia erectiflora
-Asterogyne spicata
-Asterogyne yaracuyense
-Guzmania virescens var. Virescens
-Ceroxylon alpinum subsp. alpinum
-Navia tentaculata
-Ceroxylon parvifrons
-Ceroxylon vogelianum
-Chamaedorea linearis
-Vriesea splendens var. Formosa
-Desmoncus polyacanthos var. polyacanthos
-Dictyocaryum fuscum
-Heliconia bihai var. Lutea
-Euterpe precatoria var. longevaginata
-Geonoma interrupta var. Interrupts
-Echeandia bolivarensis
-Geonoma spinescens var. braunii
-Acacallis cyanea
-Hyospathe elegans
-Anguloa hohenlohii
-Mauritia flexuosa
-Prestoea acuminata var. acuminata
-Catasetum tapiriceps
-Prestoea pubigera
-Roystonea oleracea var. oleracea
References
- Barreto, G. (2015, September 21). 570 Venezuelan plants are at risk of extinction. The universal. Recovered from eluniversal.com.
- World Animal Foundation. (s / f). Habitat Destruction. Recovered from worldanimalfoundation.org.
- The Plant List. (2010). The Pteridophytes (Ferns and fern allies). Recovered from theplantlist.org.
- Huérfano, AA, Fedón, I. and Mostacero, J. (Editores) (2003). The Red Book of the Venezuelan Flora Recovered from lrfv.org.
- Rao, DK and Kaur, JJ (2006). New Living Science Biology. Delhi: Ratna Sagar.
- Garrido Gómez, R. and Fernández Weigand, G. (2010). Angiosperm and gymnosperm plants. Botanipedia. Recovered from botanipedia.org.