Pilea pollicaris

A rare, critically endangered Pilea endemic to Mauritius, named after Le Pouce (Mount Pouce, 'the thumb'), where most specimens were collected. Old herbarium labels place it in humid, shady places in mountain forest, including deep shade in dwarf forest on steep slopes at about 600–700 m. Little is published about it, so the growing advice here generalises from its habitat and from other small forest pileas.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Humid airBand in Plantistry

Light ShadeDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

A small herb of shady, humid spots in upland forest. Labels record it in humid, shaded places on Le Pouce, and in deep shade in dwarf forest on a steep slope near the summit. It has also been collected on Montagne des Deux Mamelles.

Labelled collections come from about 600–700 m, on and near the summit plateau of Le Pouce in the Moka Range.

Mauritius (Moka Range: Le Pouce, Deux Mamelles)

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.