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Scientific Name | Gladiolus cruentus T.Moore |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
Common Names | Rooiswaardlelie (a) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Critically Endangered B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2007/09/20 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden & C.R. Scott-Shaw |
Justification | Found in a very rare, highly specific habitat near waterfalls (AOO ± 0.1 km²), known from five to seven small subpopulations which are isolated and therefore severely fragmented. There is a continuing decline in habitat quality, in subpopulations and mature individuals, as a result of alien plant invasion and water extraction. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | KwaZulu-Natal |
Range | Between Pietermaritzburg, Pinetown and Inanda, with isolated occurrences at Umbululu, Little Noodsberg and Kranskop. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Northern Coastal Forest, Scarp Forest |
Description | Scarp forest, on damp sandstone cliffs, often near waterfalls, or anywhere where water drips continuously during the growth season (generally prefers south-facing cliffs), 400-900 m. |
Threats |
| With increasing water consumption upstream, many waterfalls are drying up. This is expected to adversely affect this species (C.R. Scott-Shaw).
Alien invasive encroachment of riparian areas is a big problem in the Pietermaritzburg area, as well as elsewhere in the range. One subpopulation has already declined as a result of alien encroachment (C.R. Scott-Shaw pers. comm.) and another is threatened by advancing gum trees (P. Goldblatt pers. obs.). |
Population |
The species appears to be common wherever suitable wet sandstone cliffs occur (Goldblatt and Manning 1998). There are generally only 10-20 clonal individuals at a waterfall (C.R. Scott-Shaw pers. obs.), except at Table Mountain where there is quite a large subpopulation (T.J. Edwards pers. comm.). It cannot be said with certainty that there are less than 50 individuals.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Gladiolus cruentus T.Moore | CR B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Gladiolus cruentus T.Moore | EN | Scott-Shaw (1999) | | Gladiolus cruentus T.Moore | Rare | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Gladiolus cruentus T.Moore | Rare | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography |
Crouch, N., Smith, G. and Symmonds, R. 2000. Gasteria croucheri - the magical impundu of the Zulu. British Cactus and Succulent Journal 18(2):70-78.
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.
Hilliard, O.M. and Burtt, B.L. 1983. Notes on some plants of Southern Africa chiefly from Natal: X. Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 41(2):299-319.
Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
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.
Scott-Shaw, C.R. 1999. Rare and threatened plants of KwaZulu-Natal and neighbouring regions. KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service, Pietermaritzburg.
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Citation |
| von Staden, L. & Scott-Shaw, C.R. 2007. Gladiolus cruentus T.Moore. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/01/25 |
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