| Scientific Name | Ixia abbreviata Houtt. | Higher Classification | Monocotyledons | Family | IRIDACEAE | Synonyms | Ixia abbreviata Houtt. var. ovata (Andrews) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Ixia alboflavens Eckl., Ixia capitata Andrews var. ovata Andrews, Ixia conferta R.C.Foster var. ochroleuca (Ker Gawl.) G.J.Lewis, Ixia conferta R.C.Foster, new name for Ixia ovata (Andrews) Sweet, Ixia lutea Eckl., Ixia lutea Eckl. var. ovata (Andrews) B.Nord., Ixia maculata L. var. nigroalbida (Klatt) Baker, Ixia maculata L. var. ochroleuca Ker Gawl., Ixia nigroalbida Klatt, Ixia ochroleuca (Ker Gawl.) Sweet (later homonym), not of Vahl (1805), Ixia ovata (Andrews) Sweet (later homonym), not of Burm.f. (1768) |
National Status | Status and Criteria | Vulnerable B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | Assessment Date | 2015/06/06 | Assessor(s) | P. Goldblatt, N.A. Helme, R. Koopman, J.C. Manning & L. von Staden | Justification | This species has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 6175 km², and between nine and 12 severely fragmented subpopulations remain after extensive habitat loss and fragmentation as a result of agricultural expansion, and continue to decline due to ongoing habitat loss and degradation. IT is therefore listed as Vulnerable under criterion B. |
Distribution | Endemism | South African endemic | Provincial distribution | Western Cape | Range | This species is found in Citrusdal and Piketberg to Malmesbury, Paarl and Tulbagh. |
Habitat and Ecology | Major system | Terrestrial | Major habitats | Swartland Shale Renosterveld, Breede Shale Renosterveld, Swartland Granite Renosterveld, Swartland Alluvium Renosterveld, Swartland Alluvium Fynbos, Breede Alluvium Fynbos | Description | Plants grow in gravelly clay slopes and flats and seasonally moist sandy flats. |
Threats | | At least 85% of this taxon's lowland fynbos habitat has already been lost, mainly to wheat cultivation and to a lesser degree, urban expansion. What remains of the habitat is fragmented and mostly very degraded, particularly as a result of alien plant encroachment and poor fire management. Habitat loss is continuing. |
Population | The population of this formerly common species has been fragmented by extensive habitat loss. Out of nine known remaining subpopulations, only one substantial subpopulation remains along the foothills of the Elandskloof Mountains north of Wellington. All other subpopulations occur on small, isolated remnants, and population counts indicate that these subpopulations are small, consisting of fewer than 200 mature individuals. Habitat fragments remain at three other localities known from historical records, but these still need to be surveyed to determine whether any plants of this species survive.
| Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Ixia abbreviata Houtt. | VU B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | 2015.1 | | Ixia lutea Eckl. var. ovata (Andrews) B.Nord. | EN B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Ixia lutea Eckl. var. lutea | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Ixia lutea Eckl. var. ovata (Andrews) B.Nord. | Not Threatened | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Ixia lutea Eckl. var. lutea | Not Threatened | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Ixia conferta R.C.Foster var. ochroleuca (Ker Gawl.) G.J.Lewis | Uncertain | Hall et al. (1980) | | Ixia conferta R.C.Foster var. conferta | Uncertain | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography | De Vos, M.P. 1999. Ixia. In: O.A. Leistner (ed). Flora of Southern Africa 7 Iridaceae Part 2: Ixioideae, Fascicle 1: Ixieae:3-87. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2000. Cape Plants: A conspectus of the Cape Flora of South Africa. Strelitzia 9. National Botanical Institute, Cape Town.
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2010. Iridaceae: Reappraisal of Ixia maculata with I. calendulacea sp. nov., and an earlier name for I. lutea. Bothalia 40(1):59-64.
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2016. Systematics of the southern African genus Ixia L. (Iridaceae): 5. Synopsis of section Ixia, including five new species. South African Journal of Botany 104:175-198.
Hall, A.V., De Winter, M., De Winter, B. and Van Oosterhout, S.A.M. 1980. Threatened plants of southern Africa. South African National Scienctific Programmes Report 45. CSIR, Pretoria.
Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Lewis, G.J. 1962. South African Iridaceae. The genus Ixia. Journal of South African Botany 28:45-195.
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 | | Goldblatt, P., Helme, N.A., Koopman, R., Manning, J.C. & von Staden, L. 2015. Ixia abbreviata Houtt. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/25 |
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