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Scientific Name | Moraea simplex Goldblatt & J.C.Manning |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Critically Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) |
Assessment Date | 2010/11/01 |
Assessor(s) | P. Goldblatt & L. von Staden |
Justification | The single known location for this species is a nine hectare fragment of natural vegetation surrounded by crop fields. Ongoing agricultural expansion, pollution, alien invasive plants and inappropriate fire management are severe threats to this species. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | Eastern foot of Piketberg Mountain. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Swartland Shale Renosterveld |
Description | Moist clay flats. |
Threats |
| The only known population of this species occurs on a tiny roadside fragment of less than nine hectares surrounded by crop fields. An unknown proportion of this recently discovered species' habitat has been lost to crop cultivation in the past. Vineyards are now expanding in the area and the only known location is right next to newly planted vines. This species is likely to continue to decline due to ongoing agricultural expansion, pollution due to herbicide, pesticide and fertilizer runoff, inappropriate fire management - either too frequent or infrequent fire — and invasive alien plants, particularly grasses and other herbaceous weeds. |
Population |
Plants are locally common at the only known locality. This species could be overlooked in surveys as it appears to only flower after fire. Other small fragments of natural vegetation around the eastern base of Piketberg are likely to also contain this species.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Moraea simplex Goldblatt & J.C.Manning | Threatened | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2004. New species of Ixia (Crocoideae) and Moraea (Iridoideae), and taxonomic notes on some other African Iridaceae. Novon 14(3):288-298.
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. & von Staden, L. 2010. Moraea simplex Goldblatt & J.C.Manning. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/09 |
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