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Scientific Name | Gladiolus robertsoniae F.Bolus |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Near Threatened B1ab(iii) |
Assessment Date | 2013/01/17 |
Assessor(s) | M. Lötter, J.E. Burrows, L. von Staden & D. Raimondo |
Justification | EOO 12 783 km², between 10 and 20 locations continue to decline due to ongoing habitat degradation as a result of mining and overgrazing by livestock. Subpopulations are large and not severely fragmented. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga |
Range | South-eastern Gauteng, northern Free State and south-western Mpumalanga. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Soweto Highveld Grassland, Frankfort Highveld Grassland, Amersfoort Highveld Clay Grassland |
Description | Moist highveld grasslands, found in wet, rocky sites, mostly dolerite outcrops, wedged in rock crevices. |
Threats |
| Landuse within the known range of this species is predominantly agriculture, and about 39% of grasslands within the range are transformed. However, agriculture is unlikely to have affected this species severely as moist rocky areas are unsuitable for ploughing and crop cultivation.
Parts of the range, for example around Secunda between Nigel and Bethal are intensively mined, especially for coal. There has been renewed interest in coal mining, and many applications for coal mining in southern Mpumalanga have been submitted in the last five years (M. Lötter pers. comm.). Coal mining is very disruptive to the environment, and impacts on drainage systems can be severe, reaching far beyond the boundaries of the mining through the disruption of water flow and pollution.
Overgrazing and trampling of the moist habitat by cattle have been reported in the Amersfoort area. Ongoing pressures on the habitat is leading to a decline in the quality of habitat which may eventually lead a decline in the population.
Subpopulations within Gauteng have declined in the past due to urban expansion. |
Population |
Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Gladiolus robertsoniae F.Bolus | NT B1ab(iii) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Gladiolus robertsoniae F.Bolus | Near Threatened | Pfab and Victor (2002) | | Gladiolus robertsoniae F.Bolus | Rare | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Gladiolus robertsoniae F.Bolus | Rare | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography |
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 1998. Gladiolus in southern Africa. Fernwood Press, Vlaeberg.
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., Obermeyer, A.A. and Barnard, T.T. 1972. Gladiolus: a revision of the South African species. Journal of South African Botany Supplement 10:1-316. Purnell, Cape Town.
Pfab, M.F. and Victor, J.E. 2002. Threatened plants of Gauteng, South Africa. South African Journal of Botany 68:370-375.
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 |
| Lötter, M., Burrows, J.E., von Staden, L. & Raimondo, D. 2013. Gladiolus robertsoniae F.Bolus. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/03/22 |
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