Dicliptera aripoensis
Encyclopedia
Dicliptera aripoensis is a species of plant in the family Acanthaceae
which is endemic to Trinidad and Tobago
. The species is only known from the Heights of Aripo
, in Trinidad
's Northern Range
. It is a branching shrub, 1–1.5 m tall with red flowers about 3 cm long.
The species was described as Diapedium aripoense by American botanist Nathaniel Lord Britton
in 1926, based on a collection made by Walter Elias Broadway in 1922. American botanist Emery Clarence Leonard
transferred the species to the genus Dicliptera in 1954.
the authors of a recent assessment of the endemic plant species of Trinidad and Tobago considered it a critically endangered because it is known from only a single locality, and this area is shrinking or experiencing habitat degradation.
Acanthaceae
The family Acanthaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species....
which is endemic to Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. The species is only known from the Heights of Aripo
Aripo
Aripo is the name of several places in Trinidad.* The Heights of Aripo and the Aripo Massif are part of the Northern Range and include El Cerro del Aripo, the highest point in Trinidad and Tobago....
, in Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
's Northern Range
Northern Range
The Northern Range is the range of tall hills across the northern portion of Trinidad, the major island in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The hills rise abruptly from the lowlands of northern Trinidad , but only the two tallest peaks, El Cerro del Aripo and El Tucuche top 900 m...
. It is a branching shrub, 1–1.5 m tall with red flowers about 3 cm long.
The species was described as Diapedium aripoense by American botanist Nathaniel Lord Britton
Nathaniel Lord Britton
Nathaniel Lord Britton was an American botanist and taxonomist who founded the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York. Britton was born in New Dorp in Staten Island, New York...
in 1926, based on a collection made by Walter Elias Broadway in 1922. American botanist Emery Clarence Leonard
Emery Clarence Leonard
Emery Clarence Leonard was an American botanist known for his work on the Acanthaceae plant family and on the flora of Haiti.-References:...
transferred the species to the genus Dicliptera in 1954.
Conservation status
Although Dicliptera aripoensis is not listed in the IUCN Red ListIUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
the authors of a recent assessment of the endemic plant species of Trinidad and Tobago considered it a critically endangered because it is known from only a single locality, and this area is shrinking or experiencing habitat degradation.