Matelea orthoneura Starter Plant Matelea orthoneura is a critically endangered plant which is threatened by habitat loss. The natural habitat of Matelea orthoneura is the Ecuadorian Rainforest. Matelea orthoneura is a species of plant in the Apocynaceae family. It is regularly found in and around Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. This is a very rare climbing plant that lives near the equator in Ecuador. It has thin spindly shoots that grow from the vine which features petite lime green blossoms. The pointy tipped pods have seeds which take to the air like they each have a hang glider. The coldest day of 2013 in Ecuador was January 19, with a low temperature of 43F so even though there is no established Hardiness Zone, I am going to make a good guess. USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11.