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Home/Species/ Carite Babyboot Orchid

Lepanthes caritensis

Tremblay & Ackerman

Carite Babyboot Orchid

G1Critically Imperiled Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank
HighThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1029597
Element CodePMORC1K090
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderOrchidales
FamilyOrchidaceae
GenusLepanthes
Concept Reference
Ackerman, J.D. 2014. Orchid Flora of the Greater Antilles. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden, vol. 109. The New York Botanical Garden Press, Bronx, New York. 625 pp.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2018-03-20
Change Date2018-03-20
Edition Date2018-03-27
Edition AuthorsTreher (2018)
Threat ImpactHigh
Range Extent100-250 square km (about 40-100 square miles)
Number of Occurrences1 - 5
Rank Reasons
This epiphytic orchid is endemic to eastern Puerto Rico and known from two areas: Carite State Forest and El Yunque National Forest. There are 4 occurrences that are threatened by collection for the horticulture trade. Less than 250 individuals are known.
Range Extent Comments
Lepanthes caritensis is endemic to Puerto Rico, occurring in the eastern portion of the island (Ackerman 2014).
Occurrences Comments
There are four known occurrences (Miller et al. 2012).
Threat Impact Comments
All occurrences are in protected areas but one declined significantly by orchid collectors. One site is threatened by the absence of sexual reproduction (Ackerman 2014).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species occurs in "wet montane, broadleaf forests" at elevations of 600 to 900 m. The plants are epiphytic on understory mossy sierra palms and tree trunks but appears to be host specific in Carite State Forest where it occurs only on Micropholis guyanensi (Ackerman 2014, Crain and Tremblay 2012).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/Woodland
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
5 - Biological resource usePervasive (71-100%)Extreme - moderateHigh (continuing)
5.2 - Gathering terrestrial plantsPervasive (71-100%)Extreme - moderateHigh (continuing)
5.2.1 - Intentional use (species being assessed is the target)Pervasive (71-100%)Extreme - moderateHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
Puerto Rico (2)
AreaForestAcres
El Toro AreaCaribbean National Forest12,584
Mameyes AreaCaribbean National Forest11,150
References (3)
  1. Ackerman, J.D. 2014. Orchid Flora of the Greater Antilles. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden, vol. 109. The New York Botanical Garden Press, Bronx, New York. 625 pp.
  2. Crain, B.J. and R.L. Tremblay. 2012. Update on the distribution of <i>Lepanthes caritensis</i>, a rare Puerto Rican endemic orchid. Endangered Species Research 18:89–94.
  3. Miller, J.S., G.A. Krupnick, H. Stevens, H. Porter-Morgan, B. Boom, P. Acevedo-Rodríguez, J. Ackerman, D. Kolterman, E. Santiago, C. Torres, and J. Velez. 2013. Toward Target 2 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation: An Expert Analysis of the Puerto Rican Flora to Validate New Streamlined Methods for Assessing Conservation Status. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 99(2):199-205.