Pelliciera benthamii is a neotropical mangrove tree species, recently segregated from the Vulnerable Pelliciera rhizophorae, with a disjunct, trans-isthmus distribution, in the Colombian Caribbean coast and the Panama Pacific coast. The disjunct population corresponds to two subpopulations with no possibility of genetic exchange. The subpopulations are composed of few, small, isolated patches, and are considered severely fragmented. The area of occupancy (AOO) is 88 km², below the upper threshold for Endangered status under criterion B2. Additionally, each of the disjunct, non-interbreeding subpopulations, has an AOO of 44 km². The subpopulations occur in areas prone to mangrove destruction and degradation, mainly due to residential and commercial development due to the expansion of tourism and recreation areas (transformation of mangroves to beaches), transportation and service corridors (roads and ports), and climate change and severe weather (sea level rise). The species exhibits continuous population decrease, as there is evidence of total habitat loss in areas where this species has been recorded. The species has few records within protected areas. Therefore, the species is considered Endangered.

Pelliciera benthamii is a neotropical mangrove tree species, with a disjunct, trans-isthmus distribution, in the Colombian Caribbean coast and the Panama Pacific coast (Duke 2020). It has been recorded in the Departments of Sucre and Bolivar in Colombia, and the Panamanian provinces of West Panama, Los Santos, Panama and Darien (Duke 2020).

Pelliciera benthamii has a disjunct, trans-isthmus distribution, in the Colombian Caribbean coast and the Panama Pacific coast. The disjunct population corresponds to two subpopulations with no possibility of genetic exchange with haplotypes found in the Panama Pacific coast absent in the Colombian Caribbean coast (Castillo-Cárdenas et al. 2014, Castillo-Cárdenas and Toro-Perea 2012). The Colombian Caribbean subpopulation has been severely affected by habitat fragmentation (Blanco-Libreros and Ramírez-Ruiz 2021).

Pelliciera benthamii is found in small patches along the mangrove shoreline, usually associated with Rhizophora mangle (Winograd 1983). In contrast to common mangrove species categorized as hyperdominant (e.g., Rhizophora mangle and Laguncularia racemosa), which form extensive subpopulations along coastal areas, Pelliciera benthamii is rare and confined to muddy parts of estuaries where the ground becomes partially flooded at high tides (Duke 2020). Additionally, since Pelliciera benthamii does not tolerate salinity above 37 ppt, it requires freshwater input of runoff from humid uplands and localized areas of high rainfall (Jimenez 1984, Duke 2020). Pelliciera benthamii is a tree that can reach 3 to 5 m in height. It flowers from May to July and fruits from August to October. It has been recorded to be pollinated by moths, birds (hummingbirds) and bats (Duke 2020). It produces a small number of large propagules and, even though they disperse through hydrochory, they have a weak dispersal ability (Dangremond et al. 2015).

Mangroves worldwide are highly threatened ecosystems (Goldberg et al. 2020). Caribbean mangroves in particular have suffered an area loss of more than 24% since the 1980s, and if proper management is not done, mangrove loss will still be constant in the near future (Polidoro et al. 2010). Threats to Pelliciera benthamii are the same as threats to mangrove ecosystems, such as:

• Urbanization, the need for commercial and industrial zones, and tourism have decreased the area of mangroves or limited them to the periphery of cities (Blanco et al. 2012). Rapid urban expansion is also related to the construction of roads that can disrupt the proper flow of water to the mangroves, altering its salinity levels and thus disrupting special adaptive strategies of mangrove plants (Villate Daza et al. 2020). In particular, salinization levels higher than 37 ppt or stagnant water that can affect the survival of Pelliciera benthamii.
• Tourism has caused local inhabitants to cut mangroves, transforming the space into beaches, and using the wood as construction material (Bolívar-Anillo et al. 2020).
• Agricultural and aquacultural practices can produce fertilizer, insecticide, and pesticide runoff, which alter the chemical balance of the mangroves. Additionally, some mangrove areas are threatened by the expansion of the aquaculture sector.
• Ecosystem modification in mangroves can occur due to the effects of solid and waste pollution and the manipulation of the hydrological resources that supply them.
• Rising sea levels place mangroves at elevated risk, as they cannot re-establish when the tide is higher than their toleration levels. These are also connected to hurricane incidents, which transform the forest canopy and can alter the flow of water from the mainland (Bolívar-Anillo et al. 2020). Another modification of the ecosystem may occur when hydro-climatic events such as "El Niño" or "La Niña" hit the region harder. The main threat for this species is habitat degradation and fragmentation, as Pelliciera benthamii can only live in very specific conditions, and therefore, small modifications to its habitat can have serious consequences (Blanco-Libreros and Ramírez-Ruiz 2021).

The species is used as sustenance for local inhabitants, as firewood or construction material. There are no reports of commercialization.

Pelliciera benthamii is part of an in situ conservation programme by the Cartagena Botanical Garden with funding from Fondation Franklinia, involving phenology, habitat and nursery performance studies and a reforestation process through propagation and planting, in addition to workshops and educational talks with the communities in the vicinity of some of its subpopulations.