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Scientific Name | Aloe chortolirioides A.Berger var. woolliana (Pole-Evans) Glen & D.S.Hardy |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | ASPHODELACEAE |
Synonyms | Aloe woolliana Pole-Evans |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Least Concern |
Assessment Date | 2018/10/04 |
Assessor(s) | H. Mtshali, J.E. Victor & L. von Staden |
Justification | This taxon is widespread and common. In spite of nearly 30% historical habitat loss, it does not yet meet any of the criteria indicating a high risk of extinction. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Limpopo, Mpumalanga |
Range | Mpumalanga and Limpopo Drakensberg Escarpment, from the Strydpoort Mountains to the Wolkberg, and southwards to Kaapse Hoop. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Long Tom Pass Montane Grassland, Steenkampsberg Montane Grassland, Strydpoort Summit Sourveld, Wolkberg Dolomite Grassland, Woodbush Granite Grassland, Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld, Northern Escarpment Dolomite Grassland, Lydenburg Thornveld |
Description | Upper grassy edges of east and south-east facing cliffs, where plants grow in shallow soil pockets among rock sheets and large boulders. |
Threats |
| Around 30% of this taxon's habitat has been irreversibly modified, mainly due to the establishment of commercial timber plantations around Lydenburg, Kaapse Hoop, Graskop, Sabie and the Wolkberg. The majority of the population is however unlikely to have been impacted by habitat loss, as this taxon prefers shallow pockets of soil among rocky upper ledges of steep cliffs, as well as the rocky edges of escarpments, areas that are unsuited to timber cultivation.
Unlike the typical variety, var. woolliana does not require fire to flower, and is thus not impacted by fire exclusion as a result of habitat fragmentation. Some subpopulations are also potentially threatened by competition from alien invasive plants. |
Population |
This taxon is common and subpopulations are large, consisting of several thousand individuals.
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Population trend | Stable |
Notes |
| There is much disagreement in the literature on the taxonomic status and distribution of the two variants of A. chortolirioides. This is perhaps due to their morphological similarity, which according to Reynolds (1969) may indicate that var. woolliana is merely a robust form of A. chortolirioides. Glen and Hardy (2000) indicates a widespread distribution across Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Swaziland for both variants, but according to Craib (2005) var. chortolirioides has a very restricted range in the mountains around Barberton and north-western Swaziland. Craib (2005) also points out that the main differences between the varieties are mainly in their ecology — particularly in their response to fires, their habitat preferences, and growth habit and Craib chooses to uphold var. woolliana as a separate species, Aloe woolliana. Since Craib's work is based on extensive field studies, and Glen and Hardy (2000)'s distribution maps are based mainly on herbarium specimens, which do not have the ecological information as background, it was decided that for this and the A. chortolirioides var. chortolirioides assessments to follow the distribution ranges as indicated by Craib (2005). |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Aloe chortolirioides A.Berger var. woolliana (Pole-Evans) Glen & D.S.Hardy | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Aloe chortolirioides A.Berger var. woolliana (Pole-Evans) Glen & D.S.Hardy | Not Threatened | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | |
Bibliography |
Craib, C. 2005. Grass Aloes in the South African Veld. Umdaus Press, Hatfield.
Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African 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.
Smith, G.F., Steyn, E.M.A., Victor, J.E., Crouch, N.R., Golding, J.S. and Hilton-Taylor, C. 2000. Aloaceae: The conservation status of Aloe in South Africa: an updated synopsis. Bothalia 30(2):206-211.
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Citation |
| Mtshali, H., Victor, J.E. & von Staden, L. 2018. Aloe chortolirioides A.Berger var. woolliana (Pole-Evans) Glen & D.S.Hardy. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/25 |
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