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Scientific Name | Conophytum minutum (Haw.) N.E.Br. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | AIZOACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Least Concern |
Assessment Date | 2020/02/08 |
Assessor(s) | A.J. Young & D. Raimondo |
Justification | Conophytum minutum (Haw.) N.E.Br. is endemic to the Namaqualand region of South Africa. This species is relatively widespread and has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 20 136 km². While low levels of illegal harvesting take place for some forms of this species, as a whole the population remains widespread and abundant. It therefore qualifies for listing as Least Concern. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Northern Cape, Western Cape |
Range | This succulent is endemic to South Africa where it is widespread in the parts of the Western Cape and Northern Cape province that experience winter rainfall. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Namaqualand Heuweltjieveld, Knersvlakte Quartz Vygieveld, Southern Namaqualand Quartzite Klipkoppe Shrubland, Namaqualand Strandveld, Namaqualand Heuweltjie Strandveld, Riethuis-Wallekraal Quartz Vygieveld, Namaqualand Klipkoppe Shrubland, Kobee Succulent Shrubland, Vanrhynsdorp Gannabosveld, Knersvlakte Shale Vygieveld, Central Knersvlakte Vygieveld, Northern Knersvlakte Vygieveld |
Description | This species is found in the Knersvlakte and Namaqualand Hardeveld bioregions of the Succulent Karoo biome. It grows on a variety of rock types; primarily quartz (flats and ridges) but also on shale and granite, rarely on calcrete. The plants occur as scattered individuals but also often completely fill weathered depressions on exposed rocks. This species has a generation length of 30 years. It is expected to be sensitive to the impacts of climate change as it does not disperse and while adapted to arid conditions, is dependent on limited seasonal rainfall. Species in the genus are sensitive to long periods of drought. Drought related mortality has been observed for other closely related taxa within the genus. |
Threats |
| Plants of this species have been subject to illegal collection for the international trade in ornamental succulents, with more than 12,000 individuals confiscated from poachers since 2019. This is likely to increase in future as there has been a dramatic increase in the number of species and volume of plants targeted since 2019. This is a widespread and abundant species and as a result a population decline of less than 25-29% is suspected over three generations (90 years). Anthropogenic climate change is a long-term threat to this species. There is no decline in habitat quality for this species as inferred by changes in vegetation cover determined from changes in Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) between 1984 and 2018 using Landsat data (Venter et al. 2020). Climate models for the likely emission scenarios where emissions stay at present day levels (RCP 2.6) (Hausfather and Peters 2020) and worst case scenarios where emissions continue to increase during the 21st century (RCP 8.5) indicate that there will be a loss of suitable bioclimatic envelope of between 34% and 94% by 2080 for this species. However, as this taxon occurs across several vegetation units it is expected to have a level of resilience to climate change and the expected population loss is reduced by 20% to 14%. Species in this genus have limited dispersal ability and migration to suitable habitats elsewhere is regarded as highly unlikely. |
Population |
The plants often form locally very abundant colonies. There are no formal estimates of population size for this species but the number is likely to be between 500,000 and 2,000,000 mature individuals. The population is in decline due to illegal collection for the ornamental succulent plant trade. At least 12,000 plants have been removed from habitat between 2019 and the end of 2021 based on confiscation records, with many more having likely been removed but not intercepted by law enforcers.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Notes |
| There is a very small legal trade in cultivated plants for the ornamental succulent market, but an extensive illegal trade in habitat-collected plants of this species has developed since 2019. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Conophytum minutum (Haw.) N.E.Br. var. nudum (Tischer) Boom | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Conophytum minutum (Haw.) N.E.Br. var. pearsonii (N.E.Br.) Boom | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Conophytum minutum (Haw.) N.E.Br. var. minutum | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Hammer, S. 2002. Dumpling and his wife: New view of the genus Conophytum. EAE Creative Colour, Norwich.
Hammer, S.A. 1993. The genus Conophytum: A conograph. Succulent Plant Publications, Pretoria.
Hausfather, Z. and Peters, G.P. 2020. Emissions - the 'business as usual' story is misleading. Nature 577(618-620).
Opel, M.R. 2004. The rediscovery of Crassula alcicornis. Haseltonia 10:38-40.
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Citation |
| Young, A.J. & Raimondo, D. 2020. Conophytum minutum (Haw.) N.E.Br. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/17 |
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