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Scientific Name | Erica chloroloma Lindl. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | ERICACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2012/08/22 |
Assessor(s) | R.C. Turner & L. von Staden |
Justification | EOO <9225 km², AOO <800 km² between 10 and 15 severely fragmented subpopulations continue to decline due to ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as competition from unmanaged alien invasive plants. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, Western Cape |
Range | Wilderness to the Fish River Mouth. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Algoa Sandstone Fynbos, St Francis Dune Thicket, Kasouga Dune Thicket, Goukamma Dune Thicket |
Description | Coastal dune fynbos. |
Threats |
| In the Cape St Francis area, subpopulations occur in an area densely infested by alien invasive plants, and small isolated clumps of plants remain in fragments where they are also threatened by ongoing habitat loss to coastal development. The largest known subpopulations occur at Thyspunt, to the west of St Francis, however, these are likely to be severely reduced and fragmented if a proposed new power plant development is to go ahead. At the St Francis industrial area, several large stands have been lost to construction of warehouses. A subpopulation of about 10 000 plants remain in vegetation densely invaded by alien plants, however, the whole area is zoned for development, and likely to be lost in future.
Around Wilderness, most of Erica chloroloma's habitat has been lost to rapidly expanding coastal development in the past 15 years, and no surviving subpopulations have been found yet, and the species was last recorded there in 1951. Around Knysna, most of the coastal areas have also been extensively transformed due to coastal development, but a large subpopulation still survives in the Goukamma Nature Reserve, but the reserve is also infested with alien invasive plants and ongoing clearing is required.
Around Port Elizabeth, most subpopulations are now locally extinct due to habitat loss to urban expansion, although a few subpopulations survive on limestone formations along the N2 to the north-east of Port Elizabeth. These are threatened by dense, unmanaged alien plant infestations.
To the east of Port Elizabeth, the species is known from scattered records, even though large sections of coastal dune habitat is well-protected in this area, particularly in the coastal sections of the Addo Elephant National Park. It may be undersampled, and more surveys are needed to establish the extent of the population in this area. Around Kenton-on-Sea and Port Alfred, subpopulations are also threatened by coastal development, but to a lesser degree than along the Garden Route. |
Population |
Pollination studies (Turner et al. in prep.) have shown that large subpopulations are required to maintain genetic diversity in Erica chloroloma. However, due to ongoing habitat loss and degradation, with more than 50% of this species' coastal habitat already transformed, subpopulations are becoming increasingly fragmented and isolated. Very few sufficiently large subpopulations remain, and these are likely to be lost to development in the near future.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Erica chloroloma Lindl. | Least Concern | 2011.1 | | Erica chloroloma Lindl. | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Baker, H.A. and Oliver, E.G.H. 1967. Ericas in southern Africa. Purnell, Cape Town & Johannesburg.
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.
Oliver, E.G.H. and Oliver, I.M. 2005. The genus Erica (Ericaceae) in southern Africa: taxonomic notes 2. Bothalia 35(2):121-148.
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.
Schumann, D., Kirsten, G. and Oliver, E.G.H. 1992. Ericas of South Africa. Fernwood Press, Cape Town.
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Citation |
| Turner, R.C. & von Staden, L. 2012. Erica chloroloma Lindl. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/11 |
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