| Scientific Name | Drimia elata Jacq. ex Willd. | Higher Classification | Monocotyledons | Family | HYACINTHACEAE | Synonyms | Drimia alta R.A.Dyer, Drimia ciliaris Jacq. ex Willd, Drimia pusilla Jacq., Drimia robusta Baker, Drimia zombensis Baker, Idothea elata Kunth | Common Names | Brandui (a), Isiklenama (z), Jeukbol (a), Jeukui (a), Jukbult (a), Maerman (a), Satin Squill (e), Umqumba (z), Undonganazibomvana (z), Undongana-zibomvana (z) |
National Status | Status and Criteria | Least Concern | Assessment Date | 2023/08/16 | Assessor(s) | H. Mtshali, J.E. Victor, N.R. Crouch, V.J. Brueton, A.B. Cunningham, C.R. Scott-Shaw, M. Lötter, A.M. Ngwenya & V.L. Williams | Justification | A widespread species with an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 1 175 742 km². It is known from over 100 locations and despite being harvested it remains common and widespread. The population is however suspected to be declining at a slow rate due to harvesting for medicinal purposes. Subpopulations remain both within and outside of protected areas. Ongoing monitoring is recommended to ensure harvest levels don't cause higher levels of population reduction. Based on its current status it qualifies for listing as Least Concern. |
Distribution | Endemism | Not endemic to South Africa | Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West | Range | This species has a wide distribution in southern Africa, but is rare in the dry and semidesert west and northwest and absent from the southern and central Drakensberg, extending into tropical Africa. |
Habitat and Ecology | Major system | Terrestrial | Major habitats | Swartland Shale Renosterveld, Escarpment Mesic Thicket, KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt Grassland, Pondoland-Ugu Sandstone Coastal Sourveld, Swartland Alluvium Fynbos, Swellendam Silcrete Fynbos, Atlantis Sand Fynbos, Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, Southern Afrotemperate Forest, Albany Mesic Thicket, Breede Shale Renosterveld, KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld, Northern Drakensberg Highland Grassland, Karoo Escarpment Grassland, Drakensberg Foothill Moist Grassland, Southern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland, Dry Coast Hinterland Grassland, Moist Coast Hinterland Grassland, Midlands Mistbelt Grassland, KwaZulu-Natal Hinterland Thornveld, Scarp Forest | Description | It is found in a variety of habitats, mainly grassland or open shrubland, in sandy or stony soils. |
Threats | | The Drimia elata bulb is harvested for traditional medicine but occurs occasionally in the Johannesburg muti markets. It was present in the muti shops and the Faraday street market in Johannesburg between 1994 and 2001 in small quantities (Williams 2007; Williams et al. 2007). Observations by V.J. Brueton (as part of her MSc research; University of the Witwatersrand, 2008) suggest that it is more common in the Faraday markets than D. delagoensis, but less common than D. robusta. Less than 10% of Faraday traders currently sell the species, and it occurs occasionally and is inconsistently available - i.e. sometimes you see none, and then other times you will see lots of it. Flowering plants have been seen in the markets and less than 10% flowered in the greenhouse (V.J. Brueton, pers. comm., 2008). The species is very prevalent in the Eastern Cape markets, and Dold and Cocks (2002) ranked it 16th out of the 60 most frequently traded plants. It was estimated that more than 2700 kg are sold annually. T. Dold has also said that it is heavily traded in the markets, but that it is a cryptic plant and difficult to know how common it is (pers. comm., 2008).
Cunningham (1988) also recorded D. elata in the KwaZulu-Natal markets (and distinguished it from D. robusta). It was estimated that 79 bags were sold annually by 54 herb-traders in the region. Its vulnerability to exploitation was assessed as 'indeterminate' - i.e. a species whose status is uncertain, but which appears to be heavily exploited and for which more data are required. |
Population | Population trend | Unknown |
Notes | | D. elata and D. robusta were classified as different species in the past, but in a publication by Manning and Goldblatt (2018), they have been reclassified as a single species. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Drimia pusilla Jacq. | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Drimia elata Jacq. | Data Deficient (Taxonomically Problematic) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Drimia robusta Baker | Data Deficient (Taxonomically Problematic) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography | Cunningham, A.B. 1988. An investigation of the herbal medicine trade in Natal/KwaZulu. Investigational Report No. 29. Institute of Natural Resources, Pietermaritzburg.
Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. and Amude, A.B. 2004. A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 30. SABONET, Pretoria.
Dold, A.P. and Cocks, M.L. 2002. The trade in medicinal plants in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. South African Journal of Science 98:589-597.
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.
Koorbanally, N.A., Koorbanally, C., Harilal, A., Mulholland, D.A. and Crouch, N.R. 2004. Bufadienolides from Drimia robusta and Urginea epigea (Hyacinthaceae). Phytochemistry 65(23):3069-3073.
Manning, J.C. and Goldblatt, P. 2018. Systematics of Drimia Jacq. (Hyacinthaceae: Urgineoideae) in southern Africa. Strelitzia 40. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
Pooley, E. 1998. A field guide to wild flowers of KwaZulu-Natal and the eastern region. Natal Flora Publications Trust, Durban.
Pooley, E. 2003. Mountain flowers: a field guide to the flora of the Drakensberg and Lesotho. Natal Flora Publications Trust, Durban.
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.
Von Ahlefeldt, D., Crouch, N.R., Nichols, G., Symmonds, R., McKean, S., Sibiya, H. and Cele, M.P. 2003. Medicinal plants traded on South Africa's eastern seabord. Porcupine Press, Durban.
Williams, V.L. 2007. The design of a risk assessment model to determine the impact of the herbal medicine trade on the Witwatersrand on resources of indigenous plant species. Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Williams, V.L., Balkwill, K. and Witkowski, E.T.F. 2007. Size-class prevalence of bulbous and perennial herbs sold in the Johannesburg medicinal plant markets between 1995 and 2001. South African Journal of Botany 73(1):144-155.
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Citation | | Mtshali, H., Victor, J.E., Crouch, N.R., Brueton, V.J., Cunningham, A.B., Scott-Shaw, C.R., Lötter, M., Ngwenya, A.M. & Williams, V.L. 2023. Drimia elata Jacq. ex Willd. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/20 |
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