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Scientific Name | Aloe cooperi Baker |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | ASPHODELACEAE |
Synonyms | Aloe schmidtiana Regel |
Common Names | Inqimindolo (z), Isiphukuthwane (z), Isiphuthumane (z) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Least Concern |
Assessment Date | 2014/07/21 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden |
Justification | Although there has been extensive habitat loss across the range of this widespread species, declines have taken place over a period much longer than three generations. It continues to decline in many areas, mainly due to overgrazing and invasive alien encroachment, but A. cooperi is still too widespread and common to meet any of the criteria thresholds for a threatened status. |
Distribution |
Endemism | Not endemic to South Africa |
Provincial distribution | KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga |
Range | This species is widespread across KwaZulu-Natal and the Mpumalanga Highveld to the Wolkberg Mountains in Limpopo Province. It also occurs in Swaziland. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Grassland |
Description | Aloe cooperi occupies a wide variety of habitats in grasslands, from marshy areas to dry and well-drained, often wedges in shallow pockets among rocks, but also on hillsides in open grasslands. |
Threats |
| Although this species is relatively widespread, grassland habitats are impacted by human transformation across its range. In many areas of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo grasslands have been converted to commercial forestry plantations. In many of these afforested areas A. cooperi is declining as a result of habitat degradation due to competition from alien invasive plants (Craib 2005).
Agriculture has also led to widespread losses of habitat. In southern KwaZulu-Natal, large areas of grassland have been converted to sugarcane plantations, no doubt resulting in declines of A. cooperi in this area. Overgrazing in northern KwaZulu-Natal and Sekhukhuneland is also impacting on A. cooperi where the small plants are easily trampled by livestock where they grow in open grasslands. On the top of the Leolo Mountains, which is severely impacted by overgrazing, individuals can only be found wedged among large boulders where they are safe from trampling (Craib 2005). |
Population |
This species' total habitat loss possibly amounts to more than 30%, however, it is difficult to infer the extent of population reduction from habitat loss. Information on the timing of habitat loss is lacking, but probably occurred mostly within the last 100 years. This is however probably over a period longer than three generations for this species. Estimates on the generation length is not available, but the fact that it is very fast growing in cultivation (Craib 2005) indicates that it is probably not that long-lived.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Aloe cooperi Baker | Least Concern | 2015.1 | | Aloe cooperi Baker | Declining | 2014.1 | | Aloe cooperi Baker subsp. cooperi | Declining | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Craib, C. 2005. Grass Aloes in the South African Veld. Umdaus Press, Hatfield.
Crouch, N.R. and Smith, G.F. 2011. Aloe sharoniae N.R.Crouch & Gideon F.Sm. (Asphodelaceae): species rank for a leptoaloe from southern Africa. Bradleya 29:115-120.
Glen, H.F. and Hardy, D.S. 2000. Aloaceae (First part): Aloe. In: G. Germishuizen (ed). Flora of Southern Africa 5 Part 1, Fascicle 1:1-159. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
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.
Reynolds, G.W. 1969. The Aloes of South Africa. A.A. Balkema, Cape Town.
Van Wyk, B.-E. and Smith, G. 1996. Guide to the aloes of South Africa. Briza Publications, Pretoria.
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Citation |
| von Staden, L. 2014. Aloe cooperi Baker. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/13 |
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