''Aiphanes argos'' is a plant in the family

Arecaceae The Arecaceae () is a family (biology), family of perennial plant, perennial, flowering plants in the Monocotyledon, monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbing palm, climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly k ...

, native to Colombia.

Description

''Aiphanes argos'' grows as a small palm and is a rheophyte (a plant living in swift waters). The pinnae are very long and thin, an adaptation to its environment. Similarly, the stem is flexible and thin.

Distribution and habitat

''Aiphanes argos'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to Colombia, where it is confined to the canyon of the Samaná Norte River and the river's tributary streams, in Antioquia. Its habitat is on the banks of the canyon or tributaries, at elevations of . At high water on the river, the plant may be entirely submerged.

Conservation

''Aiphanes argos'' has been assessed as

critically endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...

on the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...

. The greatest risk to the species is the proposed construction of a hydroelectric power plant and dam on the Samaná Norte River. The dam would submerge most of the species' population in deep waters. Mining activities on the river pose an additional risk to the species' habitat. , the population of ''Aiphanes argos'' was estimated at 600. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

''argos'' refers to Grupo Argos, the company in charge of the dam project.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q42729210 argos Endemic flora of Colombia Plants described in 2017