Biology:List of critically endangered plants

Short description: none

Critically Endangered (CR) species face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

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. 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. 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."

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.

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

Species

Varieties

Salviniales

• Marsilea fadeniana

Gymnosperms

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

Cycads

Species

Subspecies

Conifers

Species

Subspecies

• Abies delavayi subsp. fansipanensis, Fansipan fir
• Pinus torreyana subsp. torreyana

Varieties

Dicotyledons

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

Piperales

Piperaceae

Species

Varieties

• Piper amalago var. variifolium

Campanulales

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

Campanulaceae

Species

Subspecies

Goodeniaceae

• Scaevola socotraensis

Theales

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

Dipterocarpaceae

Species

Subspecies

Malvales

Species

Subspecies

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

Varieties

• Bombax insigne var. polystemon

Lecythidales

Species

Subspecies

• Eschweilera piresii subsp. viridipetala

Polygalales

Species

Subspecies

• Byrsonima nemoralis subsp. dressleri

Santalales

Species

Varieties

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

Proteales

Family Proteaceae - 103 species

Family Sabiaceae - 5 species

Rubiales

Species

Subspecies

Varieties

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

Violales

Species

Subspecies

• 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

Species

Subspecies

• 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

Cucurbitales

Species

Subspecies

• 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

Species

Subspecies

• 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

Species

Varieties

• 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

Species

Subspecies

• 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

Species

Varieties

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

Meliaceae

Species

Subspecies

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

Burseraceae

• Canarium whitei
• Commiphora wightii

Asterales

Species

Subspecies

Varieties

Magnoliales

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

Canellaceae

• Cinnamodendron angustifolium
• Pleodendron macranthum

Magnoliaceae

Species

Subspecies

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

Annonaceae

Species

Subspecies

• Artabotrys modestus subsp. modestus

Capparales

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

Cruciferae

Species

Varieties

• Aethionema grandiflorum var. sintenisii, Persian stonecress

Apiales

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

Araliaceae

Species

Varieties

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

Gentianales

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

Loganiaceae

Species

Varieties

• Labordia tinifolia var. wahiawaensis

Asclepiadaceae

Species

Subspecies

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

Rosales

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

Rosaceae

Species

Subspecies

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

Other Rosales

Species

Varieties

• 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

Rhamnales

Species

Varieties

• Cayratia pedata var. glabra

Urticales

Species

Varieties

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

Solanales

Species

Varieties

• Ipomoea prismatosyphon var. trifida

Scrophulariales

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

Gesneriaceae

Species

Subspecies

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

Varieties

• Gesneria scabra var. fawcettii

Lamiales

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

Labiatae

Species

Varieties

Nepenthales

Species

Subspecies

• Sarracenia rubra subsp. alabamensis

Ranunculales

Species

Varieties

• Cissampelos nigrescens var. cardiophylla

Fabales

Species

Subspecies

• 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

Species

Subspecies

• Moehringia intricata subsp. tejedensis

Cactus

Species

Subspecies

• Ariocarpus bravoanus subsp. bravoanus

Other Caryophyllales

Species

Varieties

• Achyranthes splendens var. rotundata

Fagales

Species

Subspecies

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

Other dicotyledons

Species

Varieties

• Rhododendron protistum var. giganteum

Monocotyledons

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

Arecales

Species

Varieties

Orchidales

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

Orchidaceae

Species

Subspecies

• Cynorkis buchwaldiana subsp. buchwaldiana

Liliales

Species

Subspecies

• Narcissus nevadensis subsp. enemeritoi

Arales

Araceae

Species

Subspecies

• Arisaema heterocephalum subsp. okinawaense

Cyperales

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

Gramineae

Species

Subspecies

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

Varieties

• Cenchrus agrimonioides var. agrimonioides

Cyperaceae

Species

Varieties

• Cyperus pennatiformis var. bryanii

Other monocotyledons

Species

Subspecies

• 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