Endangerment of Colombian Palms (Arecaceae): change over 18 years

We compare an assessment of the conservation status of Colombian palms made in 1987 with the current situation in 2005. The number of species considered as threatened (critically endangered + endangered + vulnerable) in 2005 is the same (39) as the number in 1987 (endangered + vulnerable), although both the circumscription of categories and the total species counts for the country have changed between both assessments. Only 16 of the 39 species considered as threatened in 1987 are currently treated as such. The remaining 23 species are now treated as synonyms or have proved to be more widespread than previously known. On the other hand, 23 species have been newly added to the ‘threatened’ categories. Ten of them are new species, new records or new segregates. We predict that any new species discovered in the Andes of Colombia will prove to be threatened. We estimate that up to 12 species that may potentially become segregated from currently recognized species or species complexes might also be at risk. However, the proportion of threatened palms in the flora is not expected to change considerably as a result of improved understanding of the species’ taxonomy or distribution. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 151, 151–163.