|
Scientific Name | Pelargonium aestivale E.M.Marais |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | GERANIACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Data Deficient - Insufficient Information |
Assessment Date | 2019/11/10 |
Assessor(s) | D. Raimondo |
Justification | Pelargonium aestivale is an endemic species to the central and eastern Karoo. Its historic extent of occurrence (EOO) was 42 909 km². It was mostly collected from the eastern Karoo from an area of 2478 km² with only one record collected from the Hanover area. This species is recorded from 14 historic collections made prior to 1984 but has not been recently recorded despite large survey efforts within its range over the past 10 years. It may be sensitive to the impacts of livestock grazing and has declined significantly. It is not possible to determine the degree of population decline which could range from 20 - 80% over the past three generations (generation length 20 years). It is therefore listed as Data Deficient. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape |
Range | This species is endemic to South Africa, and is widespread in the summer rainfall areas of the central Karoo, from Carnarvon to Klaarstroom and Middelburg. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Eastern Upper Karoo, Upper Karoo Hardeveld, Besemkaree Koppies Shrubland, Karoo Escarpment Grassland |
Description | It occurs in grassy karroid shrubland wedged between rocks on hillsides or flats. This is a geophytic species of Pelargonium. |
Threats |
| There have been a few recent collections of Pelargonium aestivale indicating that it may have declined due to habitat degradation as a result of livestock overgrazing. |
Population |
Recorded from 14 historical collections, all made prior to 1984, and cited in the literature as being locally common in the Karoo. However, this species has not been recently recorded despite two large survey efforts taking place within its range (the Karoo BioGaps Project conducted between 2016 and 2018, and the Greater Escarpment Biodiversity Survey conducted between 2005 and 2010). With no recent records it is extremely difficult to determine how many subpopulations are extant for this species.
|
Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Pelargonium aestivale E.M.Marais | DDD | 2020.1 | | Pelargonium aestivale E.M.Marais | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Magee, A.R. and Boatwright, J.S. (eds). In prep. Plants of the Karoo: A Conspectus of the Nama-Karoo and Adjacent Summer-Rainfall Regions of the Northern and Western Cape Provinces. Strelitzia.
Marais, E.M. 1994. Taxonomic studies in Pelargonium, section Hoarea (Geraniaceae). Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch.
Marais, E.M. 1995. Four species of Pelargonium, section Hoarea (Geraniaceae) and their possible relationships. South African Journal of Botany 61(2):90-100.
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.
|
Citation |
| Raimondo, D. 2019. Pelargonium aestivale E.M.Marais. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/22 |
Comment on this assessment
