Ilex sapiiformis

Ilex sapiiformis, also known as the Pernambuco holly, is a critically endangered tree in the family Aquifoliaceae endemic to the state of Pernambuco in Brazil.^[1]

Ilex sapiiformis
Conservation status
Critically endangered, possibly extinct  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Aquifoliales
Family:	Aquifoliaceae
Genus:	Ilex
Species:	I. sapiiformis
Binomial name
Ilex sapiiformis Reissek

Description

The tree can grow up to 12 metres (39 ft) tall and is diecious. The flowers are small and white.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

The species has been known only from a small patch of forest next to a sugarcane plantation in the Igarassu municipality of Pernambuco, close to the Greater Recife metropolitan area.^[2]

Conservation

After the type specimen was described in 1836, no other individuals were found and the species was considered possibly extinct for nearly 200 years until 4 plants (2 males and 2 females) were found in March 2023. Since then, one of the trees has died, leaving only 3 known individuals, rendering the plant narrowly close to extinction unless captive propagation or habitat preservation is done.^[2]