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Scientific Name | Moraea hiemalis Goldblatt |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2015/08/14 |
Assessor(s) | H. Mtshali & L. von Staden |
Justification | A range-restricted species (EOO 4996 km²), remaining at between five and 10 locations, and declining due to ongoing habitat loss and degradation. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | KwaZulu-Natal |
Range | KwaZulu-Natal Midlands between Pietermaritzburg, Richmond and Kamberg. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Midlands Mistbelt Grassland, Mooi River Highland Grassland, Moist Coast Hinterland Grassland, Southern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland, Drakensberg Foothill Moist Grassland |
Description | Open mistbelt and moist grasslands. |
Threats |
| Less than 50% of this species' grassland habitat remains intact, predominantly due to loss to timber plantations and agricultural expansion. Urban expansion, housing estate development, and spreading rural settlements are causing further, ongoing loss around Pietermaritzburg and the Midlands. Most remaining grassland fragments are overgrazed, burnt too frequently, and infested with unmanaged alien invasive plants, causing ongoing habitat degradation. |
Population |
The population has been fragmented by extensive habitat loss, and most subpopulations now remain on small, isolated grassland fragments. This species is known from a large number of historical records, but recent field observations are scarce - it has been recorded only three times since 1997. At least 60% of records that can be mapped with fair precision are from areas where only small, isolated grassland fragments remain. Data on subpopulation size is available for only one subpopulation, where 10 plants were recorded in a very degraded grassland fragment near Pietermaritzburg.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Moraea hiemalis Goldblatt | VU B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | 2015.1 | | Moraea hiemalis Goldblatt | NT B1ab(ii,iii,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Moraea hiemalis Goldblatt | Lower Risk - Near Threatened | Scott-Shaw (1999) | | Moraea hiemalis 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. 1998. A field guide to wild flowers of KwaZulu-Natal and the eastern region. 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 |
| Mtshali, H. & von Staden, L. 2015. Moraea hiemalis Goldblatt. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/09 |
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