Actinodaphne lawsonii


Actinodaphne lawsonii is a species of plant in the family Lauraceae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Description

Actinodaphne lawsonii is small tree, growing up to 10 m tall.

Range and habitat

Actinodaphne lawsonii is known from about six scattered locations in the Western Ghats, within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu states. It has an estimated extent of occurrence of 8,173 km2 and an estimated area of occupancy of 28 km2. The area of occupancy is estimated from collections only, and may be an under-estimate.
It grows in montane evergreen rain forest between 1,500 and 2,100 metres elevation.

Conservation

Much of the species' range is within protected areas. It is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation from forest clearance for agriculture.