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Scientific Name | Aloinopsis acuta L.Bolus |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | AIZOACEAE |
Synonyms | Nananthus acutus (L.Bolus) G.D.Rowley |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Rare |
Assessment Date | 2016/11/23 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden |
Justification | Aloinopsis acuta is a widespread, but rare and localized habitat specialist. It is known from only a few collections, but is suspected to be overlooked, as particularly the eastern parts of its range is botanically poorly explored. There are no severe threats to this species, and it is not suspected to be in danger of extinction. It is therefore listed under the IUCN 3.1. criteria as Least Concern but is nationally recognised as Rare. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Northern Cape |
Range | This species is endemic to South Africa, and is found from the Roggeveld Escarpment to Nuweveld Mountains. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Roggeveld Karoo, Western Upper Karoo, Bushmanland Vloere |
Description | It grows in silty flats. |
Threats |
| Parts of the area where this species occurs is subjected to heavy overgrazing due to overstocking of arid rangelands. It is possibly impacted by habitat degradation and trampling due to grazing, but field surveys are required to confirm the severity of the threat. It is rare in cultivation, and could also potentially be targeted by specialist succulent collectors. Aloinopsis species are long-lived and slow-growing (Hammer 2013), and therefore removal of plants from the wild of rare species such as A. acuta is likely to have a detrimental effect on the long-term survival of the wild population. |
Population |
Aloinopsis acuta is a very poorly known leaf succulent. The type collection is from an unspecified locality near Fraserburg. Bolus (1958) cites additional records suggesting it occurs as far as the Nuweveld Mountains near Beaufort West. A third collection by J.P.H. Acocks is from the Roggeveld Escarpment south of Middelpos. Searches around Acocks's locality and Fraserburg failed to relocate these populations (Hammer 2013), but recently (2015) the species has been found at a locality near Acocks's on the Roggeveld Escarpment. It appears to be a localized habitat specialist, and may be overlooked elsewhere in its range, which is botanically relatively poorly explored.
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Population trend | Unknown |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Aloinopsis acuta L.Bolus | Rare | 2017.1 | | Aloinopsis acuta L.Bolus | Data Deficient (Taxonomically Problematic) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Aloinopsis acuta L.Bolus | Rare | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | |
Bibliography |
Bolus, H.M.L. 1958. Aloinopsis Schwantes. In: H.M.L. Bolus (ed), Notes on Mesembryanthemum and allied genera (Vol. III, pp. 372-381), Bolus Herbarium, Cape Town.
Hammer, S.A. 2013. Mesembs, the Titanopsis group. Little Sphaeroid Press, Oakland, California.
Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Magee, A.R. and Boatwright, J.S. (eds). In prep. Plants of the Karoo: A Conspectus of the Nama-Karoo and Adjacent Summer-Rainfall Regions of the Northern and Western Cape Provinces. Strelitzia.
Raimondo, D., von Staden, L., Foden, W., Victor, J.E., Helme, N.A., Turner, R.C., Kamundi, D.A. and Manyama, P.A. 2009. Red List of South African Plants. Strelitzia 25. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
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Citation |
| von Staden, L. 2016. Aloinopsis acuta L.Bolus. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/01/25 |
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