Sandstone Red-stem

Taxonomy

Scientific Name

Pseudoscolopia polyantha Gilg

Higher Classification

Dicotyledons

Family

SALICACEAE

Synonyms

Pseudoscolopia fraseri E.Phillips

Common Names

Sandstone Red-stem (e)

National Status

Status and Criteria

Near Threatened B1ab(iii,v)

Assessment Date

2007/10/29

Assessor(s)

L. von Staden & A.T.D. Abbott

Justification

This species has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of approximately 13 500 kmÂ² and is restricted to a highly threatened habitat in southern KwaZulu-Natal and Pondoland. A suspected 10-20 locations continue to decline as a result of frequent and intense grassland fires that are affecting forest margins. Although three isolated subpopulations occur in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, subpopulations in Pondoland are not severely fragmented. It is therefore assessed as Near Threatened.

Distribution

Endemism

South African endemic

Provincial distribution

Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape

Range

It occurs mainly in Pondoland between Oribi Gorge and Port St Johns. Isolated occurrences at Little Noodsberg and Ngoye (KwaZulu-Natal) and the Groot Winterhoek Mountains (Western Cape).

Habitat and Ecology

Major system

Terrestrial

Major habitats

Forest, Fynbos, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt

Description

Plants grow in sandstones, along forest margins, or in rock outcrops usually on cliffs (Pondoland and KwaZulu-Natal). In the Western Cape it occurs along a rocky stream bank in montane fynbos.

Threats

The main threat to Pondoland woody species restricted to forest margins is too frequent and intense grassland fires that are causing forest margins to recede (D. Styles, C.R. Scott-Shaw pers. obs.) This threat is affecting forest margins mainly in the areas between Umtamvuna and Mkambati Nature Reserves, and around Lusikisiki. This threat is probably also impacting the subpopulation at the Little Noodsberg, where surrounding grasslands are severely degraded by overgrazing and too frequent fire. 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. The subpopulation in the Groot Winterhoek Mountains is protected within a Wilderness Area, however it is also potentially threatened by too frequent and intense fire (A.E. van Wyk pers. comm.). Fynbos is a fire-prone vegetation, and the subpopulation occurs in a forested kloof along a streambank, a typical fynbos fire refugium.

Population

Subpopulations in the Pondoland area are large, the largest probably exceeding 500 mature individuals (Scott-Shaw 1999).

Population trend

Decreasing

Conservation

It is protected in Ngoye Forest, Oribi Gorge, Umtamvuna and Mkambati Nature Reserves. The Cape subpopulation is protected in the Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area.

Notes

The Groot Winterhoek subpopulation is not morphologically exactly the same as the Pondoland individuals (A.E. van Wyk pers. obs.) It is not known whether this subpopulation represents the westernmost extreme of a former widespread population (as suggested in Abbott et al. 2000), or if it is the result of a rare long-distance dispersal event. The Pondoland flora has many links with the winter-rainfall fynbos, including representatives of the fynbos families Proteaceae, Ericaceae and Bruniaceae (Abbott et al. 2000, Abbott 2006).

Assessment History

Taxon assessed	Status and Criteria	Citation/Red List version
Pseudoscolopia polyantha Gilg	NT B1ab(iii,v)	Raimondo et al. (2009)
Pseudoscolopia polyantha Gilg	VU	Scott-Shaw (1999)
Pseudoscolopia polyantha Gilg	Rare	Hilton-Taylor (1996)
Pseudoscolopia polyantha Gilg	Uncertain	Hall et al. (1980)

Bibliography

Abbott, A., Van Wyk, A.E., Johnson, D.N. and Scott-Shaw, C.R. 2000. Checklist of the macrofungi, lichens, bryophytes and vascular plants of the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, South Africa. Lammergeyer 46:1-69.

Abbott, T. 2005. Pondoland Centre endemics and their distribution patterns. http://www.safcei.org.za/wildcoast/pondoland.htm Downloaded on 10-10-2007.

Abbott, T. 2006. The story of the Pondoland Centre. PlantLife 33&34:5-72.

Boon, R. 2010. Pooley's Trees of eastern South Africa. Flora and Fauna Publications Trust, Durban.

Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2000. Cape Plants: A conspectus of the Cape Flora of South Africa. Strelitzia 9. National Botanical Institute, Cape Town.

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.

Killick, D.J.B. and Langenegger, J.E. 1976. Flacourtiaceae. In: J.H. Ross (ed). Flora of Southern Africa 22:53-92. Botanical Research 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.

Citation

von Staden, L. & Abbott, A.T.D. 2007. Pseudoscolopia polyantha Gilg. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/13

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