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Scientific Name | Eugenia erythrophylla Strey |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | MYRTACEAE |
Common Names | Large-leaved Myrtle (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Near Threatened B1ab(iii,v) |
Assessment Date | 2007/11/27 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden & A.T.D. Abbott |
Justification | EOO 2600 km², more than 10 locations occur in a highly threatened and restricted habitat. Habitat extent and quality and number of mature individuals continue to decline due to too frequent and intense grassland fires that impact on forest margins, harvesting for firewood and building materials and alien plant invasion. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal |
Range | Oribi Gorge to Magwa Gorge. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Eastern Valley Bushveld, Moist Coast Hinterland Grassland, Northern Coastal Forest, Scarp Forest, Pondoland-Ugu Sandstone Coastal Sourveld |
Description | Pondoland scarp forest. Occurs in kloof forest margins near streams or along the upper edges of Msikaba Formation Sandstone cliffs above river gorges. |
Threats |
| The main threats to Pondoland woody endemics restricted to forest margins are too frequent and intense grassland fires that are causing forest margins to recede (D. Styles, C.R. Scott-Shaw pers. obs.) as well as the indiscriminate harvesting of wood for fuel and building materials (T. Abbott pers. comm.) These threats are affecting forest margins mainly in the areas between Umtamvuna and Mkambati Nature Reserves, as well as between Mkambati and Magwa Gorge.
From Port Edward to Oribi the largest remaining areas of forest are fairly well protected within the Umtamvuna and Oribi Gorge Nature Reserves, however, some areas of forest above the edges of these deep gorges have undoubtedly been cleared for forestry and agriculture (mainly sugarcane) in the past.
Smaller forest patches outside of reserves are threatened by the effects of fragmentation and isolation within a transformed landscape as well as alien invasive encroachment. |
Population |
Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation |
| Protected in the Oribi Gorge, Umtamvuna and Mkambati Nature Reserves. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Eugenia erythrophylla Strey | NT B1ab(iii,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Eugenia erythrophylla Strey | Lower Risk - Least Concern | Scott-Shaw (1999) | | Eugenia erythrophylla Strey | Rare | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Eugenia erythrophylla Strey | Uncertain | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography |
Boon, R. 2010. Pooley's Trees of eastern South Africa. Flora and Fauna Publications Trust, Durban.
Hall, A.V., De Winter, M., De Winter, B. and Van Oosterhout, S.A.M. 1980. Threatened plants of southern Africa. South African National Scienctific Programmes Report 45. CSIR, Pretoria.
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.
Scott-Shaw, C.R. 1999. Rare and threatened plants of KwaZulu-Natal and neighbouring regions. KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service, Pietermaritzburg.
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Citation |
| von Staden, L. & Abbott, A.T.D. 2007. Eugenia erythrophylla Strey. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/13 |
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