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Scientific Name | Geissorhiza melanthera Goldblatt & J.C.Manning |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2021/10/19 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden, N.A. Helme & T. Patel |
Justification | This is a highly localized species with an extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) of 8 km². It is currently known from two locations and is declining due to ongoing habitat loss to agriculture. It is therefore listed as Endangered under criterion B. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | An endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa that is found in western Piketberg region near Aurora. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Leipoldtville Sand Fynbos |
Description | It occurs in deep sand on gentle south-facing slopes, flowering best after fire. |
Threats |
| This species has lost 33% of its habitat (calculated using landcover data in GIS). Its' habitat is rapidly disappearing due to expanding rooibos tea and potato cultivation. It is currently known from only two locations, two small fragments ±6 km apart. At one of these, a ploughing application for 300 hectares is currently under review (N.A. Helme pers. comm. 2014). |
Population |
The population has a decreasing trend and is known from two locations. Records on iNaturalist indicate that this species is rare, often having less than 50 plants in a subpopulation. However, as a post fire flowering species it is difficult to ascertain the actual size of the population until it is monitored after fire.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Geissorhiza melanthera Goldblatt & J.C.Manning | EN B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | 2014.1 | |
Bibliography |
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2013. Geissorhiza melanthera sp. nov. (Iridaceae: Crocoideae) from the southern African winter rainfall region with comments on its pollination by the bee-fly Megapalpus capensis (Bombyliidae). South African Journal of Botany 87(1):22-24.
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2020. Iridaceae of southern Africa. Strelitzia 42. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
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Citation |
| von Staden, L., Helme, N.A. & Patel, T. 2021. Geissorhiza melanthera Goldblatt & J.C.Manning. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2024/09/14 |
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