Dioscorea buchananii subsp. undatiloba

Taxonomy
Scientific Name
Dioscorea buchananii Benth. subsp. undatiloba (Baker) Wilkin
Higher Classification
Monocotyledons
Family
DIOSCOREACEAE
Synonyms
Dioscorea junodii Burtt Davy, Dioscorea undatiloba Baker
National Status
Status and Criteria
Data Deficient - Insufficient Information
Assessment Date
2016/08/17
Assessor(s)
P. Wilkin, M. Muasya & L. von Staden
Justification
A widespread, but very rare and poorly known taxon. Based on current data, its risk of extinction cannot be assessed.
Distribution
Endemism
South African endemic
Provincial distribution
KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo
Range
Known from a few scattered records from Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal.
Habitat and Ecology
Major system
Terrestrial
Major habitats
KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld, KwaZulu-Natal Hinterland Thornveld, Tzaneen Sour Bushveld, Ohrigstad Mountain Bushveld, Soutpansberg Summit Sourveld, Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld
Description
Uncertain. It possibly occurs in open grassland.
Threats
The threats to this taxon are not well understood, and difficult to infer as its precise habitat is not known. In KwaZulu-Natal, it is likely to have declined due to habitat loss to urban expansion, and may be locally extinct in the province. In Limpopo it has been recorded from densely populated rural areas, and is likely to be threatened by ongoing habitat loss and degradation due to expanding settlements, overgrazing and too-frequent burning of grasslands.
Population

This taxon is very rare, or otherwise overlooked and confused with other Dioscorea species. Most records date from the 1920s and earlier. Field surveys are needed to relocate this taxon at historical localities.


Population trend
Unknown
Assessment History
Taxon assessed
Status and Criteria
Citation/Red List version
Dioscorea buchananii Benth. subsp. undatiloba (Baker) WilkinDDD 2017.1
Dioscorea undatiloba BakerData Deficient (Taxonomically Problematic) Raimondo et al. (2009)
Bibliography

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.


Wilkin, P. and Muasya, A.M. 2015. Clarifying the Dioscorea buchananii Benth. species complex: a new potentially extinct subspecies for South Africa. PhytoKeys 48:51-72.


Citation
Wilkin, P., Muasya, M. & von Staden, L. 2016. Dioscorea buchananii Benth. subsp. undatiloba (Baker) Wilkin. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/02/11

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Distribution map


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