Endemic Plants Of Venezuela

Abarema longipedunculata

Abarema longipedunculata is a legume plant of the Fabaceaefamily. It is endemic to Venezuela. Just like other plants in the Abarema species, the plant has a deep-green fernlike foliage with compound leaves. In Venezuela, the plant is found in the Amazon Basin, and it is considered a near threatened species of plant.

Rollinia fendleri

Rollinia fendleri is a plant species that is endemic to Venezuela. It is a flowering plant that produces edible fruits with a taste similar to the lemon meringue pie. The fruit of the tree is soft and perishable; they are mostly used to make wine. The bark of the tree is fibrous and aromatic, and its leaves are alternate. The tree thrives in the forest, savannahs, and woods of northern Venezuela and is therefore considered less threatened.

Guatteria atabapensis

Guatteria atabapensis is a plant species that in the Annonaceaefamily. It is endemic to Venezuela. The plant is found in the Amazon Basin and the shrub islands in white-sand savannah. It is a flowering plant that produces fruits. The plant has been declared near threatened. The plant grows as a shrub before maturing to a tree that grows to a length of 10 meters.

Podocarpus roraimae

Podocarpus roraimae is a conifer plant found only in Venezuela. The plant grows as a shrub before maturing to a tree that grows to a length of up to 10 meters. The leaves are oblanceolate and are up to 6cm wide and 0.8 cm long and have an obtuse apex. They are common at the border of Venezuela and Guyana. They are not threatened and are therefore of less concern to the IUCN.

Ilex abscondita

Ilex abscondita is a plant in the Aquifoliaceae family. The tree is a shrub or low tree, which is endemic to the Sierra de la Neblina in Venezuela. It is a deciduous flowering plant that is evergreen. Its leaves are simple and glossy with a spiny leaf margin. The inconspicuous flower has four petals and greenish-white in color. Its fruit contains ten seeds and ripens during the winter.

Threats to the endemic plants of Venezuela

Venezuela is one of the global leaders of deforestation escalated by political and economic factors. Annually, approximately 276,600 hectares of forest are destroyed. Mining and oil extraction also contribute to the destruction of natural habitats. Between 1990 and 2005, the country lost 8.3% of the forest cover which is approximately 4.3 million hectares.