The habitat of the species is the sub-mountain and mountain rainforest, along ridges, open mountain forest, along roads and tracks. The species is cultivated at lower altitude in plantations or as ornamental (Porto Alegre, Libreville).

Some individuals have been planted at CIAT station, around 39 years ago, and they now have about 30 cm in DBH. They were producing fruits after 30 years. Many young seedlings (10 cm tall) have been collected around Lago Amélia (Esperança) and planted in the nursery of the Bom Successo botanic Garden (10 individuals were transplanted in the garden). After 4 years, they had about 150 cm tall. Between 300 to 400 individuals have been released in communities as timbers, but no precise localities are given (Projects CARPE, ECOFAC6, FFEM).

The population of this species is naturally small as it is confined to a single mountain. At lower altitudes, larger trees have been felled, but they were cultivated. The number of mature individuals is less than 1000. Around 300-400 individuals have been planted these last 10 years in Sao Tomé.

Despite the old age of some collections (G. Mann 1065 in 1861 for example), we did not exclude any of these 65 occurrences, since the locations are remote and still covered by forest, thus considered as still suitable for the species.

Two large groups of individuals are known in the wild, one around the ridges near Lagoa Amélia, and the other on the ridge from Estação Sousa, to the Pico de São Tomé and to Morro Vilela. These two patches of individuals form one subpopulation since they are quite close (3 km) and individuals certainly exist on ridges linking these two areas (track to Escadas). The number of individuals at the top is quite limited, but the species is frequent: 51 observations of mature individuals have been made there, showing that the species is quite common along ridges, but not abundant in the wild. Indeed, we can estimate that the number of mature individuals does not exceed 1000 individuals based on the 51 observations made along the ridge to the Pico which representing around one third or one quarter of its natural habitat. Also worth noting that most tracks in the area where the species can be found are along the ridges, which is a preferential habitat for the species, making it easy to find.

The species is not directly threatened by logging but its habitat, the submontane forest, has been reduced, especially in the area near Bom Sucesso, where many new crop settlements were established starting around 1980. The species was also collected near Macambrará, on the ridge, a place that is also threatened by horticulture.

Most of the about 300-400 individuals recently cultivated in the nursery of Bom Sucesso originated from young seedlings collected at Morro Esperança, near Lagoa Amélia.

Most herbarium specimens and observations were collected in the Obô Natural Park. Despite the quality of its timber, none of these places appears to be directly threatened.

The occurrences located near Macambrará are threatened by agricultural expansion and represent one location. Individuals found between Bom Sucesso and Lagoa Amélia are also threatened by agricultural expansion and by the invasive species that it promotes, and they represent one location. Finally, individuals situated at higher elevations within the protected area do not appear to be under any direct or immediate threat and represent one location based on the impacted area of the most important threat, agriculture.

Since the habitat remains unaltered in the places of collection, and most of the occurrences are recent, we consider that the species persists in all places of occurrence. The habitat of the species does not appear to be fragmented. Based on a 2 x 2 km cell size, the AOO of this species is estimated at 28 km², and the EOO is calculated at 14.608 km², both below the upper threshold for “Endangered” status under Criterion B. The EOO is calculated at less than AOO, so we consider EOO as same as AOO (28 km2), both below the upper threshold for “Endangered” status under Criterion B.

Therefore, these 65 occurrences represent 3 locations (sensu IUCN 2019), with regards to the most important threats (small scale agriculture). Moreover, we infer a past decline of the AOO and mature individuals, and a past, current, and future continuous decline in the extent and habitat quality. Finally, the whole population of the species is situated in 1 subpopulation. This species is thus assessed as EN B1ab(ii,iii,v) + B2ab(ii,iii,v); C2a(ii).