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Scientific Name | Moraea australis (Goldblatt) Goldblatt |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
Synonyms | Gynandriris australis Goldblatt |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Near Threatened B1b(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2016/03/07 |
Assessor(s) | C. Logie, L. von Staden & D. van der Colff |
Justification | Moraea australis has a narrow coastal distribution range (EOO 3348 km² and AOO <1284 km ²). An estimated 17-20 locations continue to decline due to ongoing habitat loss to coastal development, as well as competition from alien invasive plants. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, Western Cape |
Range | Mossel Bay to Port Elizabeth. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Groot Brak Dune Strandveld, Southern Cape Dune Fynbos, St Francis Dune Thicket, Hartenbos Dune Thicket |
Description | Coastal dunes. |
Threats |
| Moraea australis is threatened by ongoing habitat loss to coastal development across its range (land cover data indicates that >52% of its habitat is already transformed). In the Cape St Francis area, plants are now largely confined to road verges, after most of its habitat has been lost to coastal development. There is ongoing disturbance of these roadside areas, particularly due to mowing, but Moraea australis appears to be fairly resilient to disturbance (C. Logie pers. obs.). A subpopulation near the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University campus in Port Elizabeth is threatened by competition from alien invasive plants. |
Population |
This species was rarely collected in the past, and was known from only a few, scattered collections along the southern Cape coast. Recent field observations indicate that it is still fairly common around Cape St. Francis, where large numbers of plants persist mainly in road verges, forming one large, continuous subpopulation. These observations suggest that it is quite likely under-sampled, and much more common than the few historical collections suggest. The population however continues to decline due to ongoing habitat loss.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Moraea australis (Goldblatt) Goldblatt | NT B1b(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | 2017.1 | | Moraea australis (Goldblatt) Goldblatt | VU B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | 2015.1 | | Moraea australis (Goldblatt) Goldblatt | Threatened | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Goldblatt, P. 1980. Systematics of Gynandriris (Iridaceae), a Mediterranean - southern African disjunct. Botaniska Notiser 133(3):239-260.
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.
Manning, J.C. and Goldblatt, P. 2012. Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 1: The Core Cape Flora. Strelitzia 29. South African National Biodiversity 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.
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Citation |
| Logie, C., von Staden, L. & van der Colff, D. 2016. Moraea australis (Goldblatt) Goldblatt. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/09 |
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