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Scientific Name | Moraea unibracteata Goldblatt |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2015/06/15 |
Assessor(s) | C.R. Scott-Shaw, H. Mtshali & L. von Staden |
Justification | EOO 2158 km², known from seven locations and declining due to ongoing habitat loss and degradation. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | KwaZulu-Natal |
Range | KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and Drakensberg foothills. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Midlands Mistbelt Grassland, Mooi River Highland Grassland, Northern Drakensberg Highland Grassland |
Description | Mistbelt and montane grassland, usually on steep slopes, 600-2000 m. |
Threats |
| Urban expansion, agriculture, afforestation and degradation by livestock have caused a severe loss and fragmentation of suitable habitat. |
Population |
A poorly known species last collected in 1987. It has a restricted range, and is known from seven locations, but most records have too imprecise locality descriptions to determine with any certainty if the subpopulations still persist or not, but some intact habitat still remains, particularly in the Drakensberg foothills. Surveys are urgently needed to relocate surviving subpopulations so that their conservation can be secured.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Moraea unibracteata Goldblatt | VU B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v) | 2015.1 | | Moraea unibracteata Goldblatt | NT B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Moraea unibracteata Goldblatt | Lower Risk - Near Threatened | Scott-Shaw (1999) | | Moraea unibracteata Goldblatt | Indeterminate | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | |
Bibliography |
Goldblatt, P. 1973. Contributions to the knowledge of Moraea (Iridaceae) in the summer rainfall region of South Africa. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 60(2):204-259.
Goldblatt, P. 1986. The Moraeas of Southern Africa: a systematic monograph of the genus in South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Transkei, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. Annals of Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens 14:1-224. National Botanic Gardens in association with the Missouri Botanical Garden, USA, Cape Town.
Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Pooley, E. 2003. Mountain flowers: a field guide to the flora of the Drakensberg and Lesotho. Natal Flora Publications Trust, Durban.
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 |
| Scott-Shaw, C.R., Mtshali, H. & von Staden, L. 2015. Moraea unibracteata Goldblatt. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/09 |
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