National Collection of Imperiled Plants

CPC National Collection Plant Profile

Photographer:

Meghan Fellows

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CPC National Collection Plant Profile

Cordia rupicola

Family:	Boraginaceae
Common Name:	Puerto Rico manjack
Author:	Urban
Growth Habit:	Shrub
CPC Number:	1048

Distribution
Protection
Conservation
References

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Photographer: Meghan Fellows
Image Owner: Fairchild Tropical Garden

Cordia rupicola is Not Sponsored

Primary custodian for this plant in the CPC National Collection of Endangered Plants is:

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Cordia rupicola

This species is found in Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands. For a number of years it was considered extinct, until one small population was found on Puerto Rico and another was subsequently found on the island of Anegada in the Virgin Islands (KEW Scientist 2000).

Cordia rupicola is generally a small shrub that can reach up to 5 meters in height. The small white flowers produce a one seeded red fruit (Proctor 1991).

Distribution & Occurrence

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State Range

Puerto Rico

Habitat

C. rupicola can be found growing in Penuelas, Puerto Rico. This site is located within the subtropical dry forest zone situated over a limestone substrate (USFWS 2001). The hills in this area are covered by low growing dense brush with a few scattered trees (USFWS 2001).

Distribution

C. rupicola is currently known from one location in Puerto Rico (USFWS 2001) and from the island of Anegada, British Virgin Islands, KEW Scientist 2000).

Number Left

A survey conducted in 1991 failed to detect this species at its known locations in Guanica and Guayanilla, Puerto Rico (Proctor 1991). In 1995, 15 plants were found at Penuelas, a site east of Guayanilla, Puerto Rico (USFWS 2001).
There is also one reproducing population known on the Island of Anegada (KEW Scientist 2000).

Protection

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Global Rank:	G1	9/5/1984	Guide to Global Ranks
Federal Status:	C	1/19/1996	Guide to Federal Status
Recovery Plan:	No

State/Area Protection

State/Area	Rank	Status	Date
British Virgin Islands	*FR85		8/26/1988
Puerto Rico	S1		2/28/1985

Conservation, Ecology & Research

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Ecological Relationships

Ecological relationships are unknown, however, C. rupicola is associated with other rare and endangered plants such as: Eugenia woodburyana, Myrtus bellonis, Passiflora bilobata and Nashia inaguensis (USFWS 2001).

Threats

The single known site in Puerto Rico is located on privately held land that is part of a residential development (USFWS 2001).

Current Research Summary

Studies of the species� distribution, abundance and reproductive biology by the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus are ongoing. (USFWS 2001)

Current Management Summary

Research Management Needs

As of January, 2001, this species was not on Puerto Rico's protection list (USFWS 2001). The primary management need is to list this species and protect remaining populations.

Ex Situ Needs

References

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Books (Single Authors)

Liogier, H.A.; Martorell, L.F. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis. Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. 342p.

Books (Sections)

Proctor, G. 1991. Status survey of Cordi rupicola. Puerto Rican plant Species of Special Concern: Status and Recommendations. Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources. San Juan, Puerto Rico. p 196.

Journal Articles

2000. British Virgin Islands, Conservation and Training. KEW Scientist. 18

Reports

Breckon, G.J.; Kolterman, D.A. 1996. Cordia rupicola Urban. Mayaguez Campus: Final Report under Cooperative Agreement No. 1448-0004-94-9113 between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and University of Puerto Rico. p.6.

USFWS. 2001. Candidate and Listing Priority Assignment Form for Cordia rupicola. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Region. p.6.

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This profile was updated on 3/4/2010