Filling Gaps and Driving Conservation for Axinaea and Meriania Species in the Peruvian Andes

Filling taxonomic gaps and driving conservation for Axinaea and Meriania species in the Peruvian Andes

Partner: New York Botanical Garden
Years: 2026-2028

The plant family Melastomataceae, particularly the genera Meriania and Axinaea, play a crucial ecological role in tropical cloud forests. However, their taxonomy, distribution, and conservation status remain inadequately studied. By combining field research with practical conservation applications, the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) promotes the preservation of ecologically significant, yet threatened, Melastomataceae trees.

Axinaea glandulosa

While 55 species of trees in these two genera have been reported for Peru’s cloud forests, only 24 have been evaluated using IUCN threat assessments. Ongoing taxonomic work reveals that many species remain undescribed, and the conservation status of most species in these genera remains uncertain due to insufficient field data and outdated assessments.
With Peruvian partners such as CNEH (Centro Neotropical de Entrenamiento en Humedales / Neotropical Center for Wetlands Training) and CORBIDI (Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad / Center for Ornithology and Biodiversity), who take leading roles in the project, the NYBG aims to fill major knowledge gaps in their taxonomy, distribution, conservation, and propagation methodology.
The team implements an ambitious capacity-building plan to train graduate students, land managers, park rangers, and other stakeholders, and engage with landowners on propagation and reforestation efforts for selected species. This also includes introductory capacity building with a local high school that provides vocational training. To achieve these objectives, the team develops user-friendly identification tools and implements germination and propagation trials to optimize reforestation protocols for Melastomataceae.
Some of the evaluated species targetted: Axinaea carolina-telleziae (CR), Axinaea crassinoda (EN), Axinaea fernando-cabiesii (CR), Axinaea glandulosa (EN), Axinaea lanceolata (EN), Axinaea mertensioides (EN), Axinaea nitida (VU), Axinaea oblongifiloa (EN), Axinaea reginae (CR), Axinaea sessilifolia (EN), Axinaea tomentosa (EN), Axinaea weberbaueri (EN).
Other NYBG initiatives supported by Franklinia include Brazil, Vanuatu and Colombia