''Magnolia oaxacensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family

Magnoliaceae The Magnoliaceae () are a flowering plant family, the magnolia family, in the order Magnoliales. It consists of two genera: '' Magnolia'' and ''Liriodendron'' (tulip trees). Unlike most angiosperms, whose flower parts are in whorls (rings), ...

. It 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 the

Sierra Madre de Oaxaca The Sierra Madre de Oaxaca is a mountain range in southeastern Mexico. It is primarily in the state of Oaxaca, and extends north into the states of Puebla and Veracruz. Geography The mountain range begins at Pico de Orizaba, and extends in a sout ...

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

state in southern

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Description

''Magnolia oaxacensis'' is a small tree that grows up to 5 meters tall. The species was classed as ''

Magnolia schiedeana ''Magnolia schiedeana'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Magnoliaceae. It is endemic to Mexico, where it occurs along the slopes of the Gulf of Mexico. Description ''Magnolia schiedeana'' is a tree growing up to 25 meters tall. It ...

'', which is native to the

Sierra Madre Oriental The Sierra Madre Oriental () is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that ...

, until being recognized as a distinct species.

Range and habitat

''Magnolia oaxacensis'' is endemic to the

Sierra Mazateca The Sierra Mazateca is a mountainous area, part of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca mountain range, located in the northern part of the state of Oaxaca in Southern Mexico. It is named after the Mazatec people, who are indigenous to the area. Notable fi ...

, part of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca in northern Oaxaca state. The species' estimated

extent of occurrence Extent may refer to: Computing * Extent (file systems), a contiguous region of computer storage medium reserved for a file * Extent File System, a discontinued file system implementation named after the contiguous region * Extent, a chunk of st ...

(EOO) is about 1000 km². ''Magnolia oaxacensis'' grows in montane cloud forests from 2,000 to 2,100 meters elevation. It is sometimes found around swampy pond margins. The trees are typically scattered among trees of other species.

Conservation

''Magnolia oaxacensis'' has a small range and a decreasing population. It is subject to

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

from excessive timber harvesting and conversion of forest lands to agriculture and livestock pasture, and much of its remaining habitat is on steep slopes. Mature trees are seldom found with seedlings or saplings nearby, and the fruits rarely produce seed. The species' conservation status is assessed as

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from= Q81736387 oaxacensis Endemic flora of Mexico Trees of Northern America Flora of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca Cloud forest flora of Mexico Plants described in 2012