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Scientific Name | Thereianthus elandsmontanus Goldblatt & J.C.Manning |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered D |
Assessment Date | 2014/04/30 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden |
Justification | A rare species, known from a single subpopulation of a few dozen mature individuals, which is not threatened. It is possible that other subpopulations may exist, that could be potentially threatened by habitat degradation, predominantly due to a lack of fire. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | Foot of the Elandskloof Mountains near Hermon. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Swartland Shale Renosterveld |
Description | Low sandstone ridges. |
Threats |
| This species was only recently (2011) discovered, after a controlled burn of a small fragment of lowland fynbos between crop fields. The majority of this private property is formally protected through a biodiversity stewardship contract, and although the population is within a agricultural production area outside the boundaries of the protected area, it is being managed for conservation. It is possible that other subpopulations exist within the area, which is extensively cultivated, but overlooked, because small fragments are seldom burnt and this species requires fire to flower. Due to its specific habitat requirements, rocky ridges, which is unsuitable to cultivation, it is unlikely to be declining due to habitat loss to agricultural expansion. It is however potentially threatened by habitat degradation due to a lack of fire, competition from alien invasive plants, loss of pollinators, and herbicide and pesticide drift from surrounding crop fields. |
Population |
Currently only one small subpopulation of a few dozen individuals is known (Manning and Goldblatt 2011), which is not threatened. As it flowers only sporadically, it is likely to be overlooked and may be more widespread along the western foothills of the Elandskloof and surrounding mountain ranges.
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Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Thereianthus elandsmontanus Goldblatt & J.C.Manning | EN D | 2014.1 | |
Bibliography |
Manning, J.C. and Goldblatt, P. 2011. Taxonomic revision of the genus Thereianthus (Iridaceae: Crocoideae). Bothalia 41(2):239-267.
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Citation |
| von Staden, L. 2014. Thereianthus elandsmontanus Goldblatt & J.C.Manning. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/01/21 |
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