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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 | An endemic species to the central and eastern Karoo (historic extent of occurrence 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 to large survey efforts within its range over the past 10 years. It may be sensitive to the impacts of livestock gazing and have 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 | Widespread in the summer rainfall areas of the central Karoo, from Carnarvon to Klaarstroom and Middelburg. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Nama Karoo |
Description | Grassy karroid shrubland wedged between rocks on hillsides or flats. This is a geophytic species of pelargonium. |
Threats |
| There have been few recent collections of this species indicating that it may have declined due to habitat degradation as a result of livestock overgrazing. |
Population |
Recorded from 14 historically 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 run between 2016 and 2018, and the Greater Escarpment Biodiversity Survey run between 2005 and 2010). With no recent records it is extremely difficult to determine how many subpopulations are extant for this species.
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Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | 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.
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Citation |
| Raimondo, D. 2019. Pelargonium aestivale E.M.Marais. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2023/12/04 |
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