Endangered Plants List

One of the ill-effects of industrialization is the extinction of several plants species of our planet. Some of these plants are on the verge of extinction i.e. endangered. An attempt is made to prepare an endangered plants list which incorporates as many species as possible.

Endangered Plants
There are many medicinal and other rare species of plants that are going to become extinct in the near future. If proper measures are taken to conserve these endangered species, it is possible to save at least a few of them.

Endangered Plant Species
The paragraphs below, provides short description of the various endangered plants, which need to be conserved.

Dragon Tree: The dragon tree or Dracaena genus contains 40 species of plants in this group. Most of the species are found in Africa, while few of them have South-Asian origin. The Dragon tree, which belongs to the Dracaena draco species, produces red colored bright resin. The resin is known as 'dragon's blood' and was used as a medicine in ancient times.

Baobab Tree: The baobab tree is mostly found in Africa and is useful for various purposes. The huge and swollen trunk is the characteristic of baobabs. Average height of the plant ranges from 18-25 meters while the width is 10 meters. The droughts which occurred in recent years have posed a danger to the regeneration of baobabs. Earlier, elephants played an important role in the dispersal of baobab seeds. However, with the destruction in habitats of elephants, the rate of dispersal has reduced. Moreover, the demand for fruits of baobabs in urban areas is on the rise. The seeds, after the consumption of the fruit end up in a garbage dump, are not used for plantation and thus, number of Baobab trees has reduced a lot.

Hart's-tongue Fern: It is one of the fern species of the genus, Asplenium and has a botanical name, Asplenium scolopendrium. It is commonly found in Europe and in North America. Quarrying, lumbering and trampling have resulted in the destruction of its habitat. The leaf-width of this fern ranges between 3-6 cm, while the length could be anything from 10-60 cm.

Fraser Fir: The Fraser Fir which has the botanical name, Abies fraseri is native to the Southern Appalachian mountain range. This evergreen coniferous plant can grow up to the height of 20 meters. Introduction of an exotic pest from Eurasia has led to the destruction of this plant species. Excessive acid precipitation is also one of the cause behind decline in the number of Fraser Fir.

Monkey Puzzle Tree: It is the national tree of Chile and is known for its grotesque and striking appearance. The botanical name of Monkey Puzzle tree is Araucaria araucana. This dioecious plant possesses triangular leaves having 3-4 cm width. The Monkey Puzzle tree lives for many years and is thus, named as the living fossil. Illegal logging is the main reason behind reduction in number of this plant. Increase in distance between neighboring plants due to logging prevents natural pollination; it is also a reason behind the tree becoming endangered.

Koai'a: The koai'a is common name of Acacia koaia which is native to Hawaii. It doesn't grow beyond 5 meters in height. The seeds of this plant are arranged in pods. The koai'a is adapted to dry areas and even forms forests with less amount of water consumption.

Green Pitcher Plant: It is a carnivorous plant which feeds on insects. This plant is native to Georgia, South Carolina. It is also found in other parts of southern USA. The deep cavity possessed by these plants contains a liquid (pitfall trap) for capturing insects.

Endangered Plants List
The list of endangered plants given below, includes as many plant species as possible. Botanical names of few plant species while common names of others are given below.

Triunia robusta	Calamus aruensis	Cooktown orchid
Marsupella profunda	Sphaeropteris crinita	Ochyraea tatrensis
Spruceanthus theobromae	Graptophyllum reticulatum	Tectaria devexa
Triunia robusta	Diploglottis campbellii	Acronychia littorali
Euphorbia bupleurifolia	Arizona Hedgehog Cactus	Queen Victoria Agave
Hibiscus insularis	Astrophytum asterias (Star Cactus)	Orbea paradoxa
Georgia Aster	Darwinia chapmaniana	False Poison Sumac
Lanaihale cyrtandra	Lanai Sandalwood	Alabama Pitcherplant
Ione Buckwheat	Mexican Flannelbush	Olokele Gulch Bluegrass
Gibson's Cyanea	Jamaican Broom	Pink Lady's Slipper
Astragalus phoenix	Castilleja salsuginosa	Cryptantha insolita
Centaurium namophilum	Eriogonum viscidulum	Eriogonum ovalifolium
Spiranthes diluvialis	Rorippa subumbellata	Polyctenium williamsiae
Phacelia inconspicua	Phacelia inconspicua	Phacelia inconspicua
Phacelia inconspicua	Listera convallarioides	Listera auriculata
Listera chordata	Allium canadense	Aureolaria pedicularia
Ranunculus fascucularis	Dryopteris goldiana	Arabis canadensis

The names of the endangered plants given above, includes species that are from all over the world. There are many different reasons behind the destruction of plant habitats. These reasons and related information about plants is presented above. It would prove to be useful for readers interested in the conservation work.