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Scientific Name | Lachenalia viridiflora W.F.Barker |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | HYACINTHACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii,iii,iv,v); C2a(ii) |
Assessment Date | 2022/05/17 |
Assessor(s) | G.D. Duncan, N.A. Helme, I. Ebrahim & L. von Staden |
Justification | This species has a limited distribution range, an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 178 km², and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 36 km². Two subpopulations at fewer than five locations remain after extensive habitat loss due to urban expansion and crop farming. There are fewer than 2500 mature individuals remaining of this species, with 95% of these occurring in one subpopulation. It is threatened by ongoing habitat degradation and loss. It therefore qualifies as Endangered under criteria B and C. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | This species is endemic to the Western Cape Province of South Africa, where it is restricted to the Saldanha district. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Saldanha Granite Strandveld |
Description | Plants grow in seasonally moist depressions and rock crevices around exposed rock sheets in Saldanha Granite Strandveld. |
Threats |
| Agricultural expansion and coastal development have caused extensive habitat loss on the Vredenburg Peninsula, and only a few fragments of Saldanha Granite Strandveld remain intact. The subpopulation at the type locality near Vredenburg is now locally extinct as a result of urban expansion. The largest remaining subpopulation near St. Helena Bay is threatened by habitat loss due to coastal development. A second subpopulation on a privately owned farm is threatened by habitat degradation due to overgrazing. Recently, there was an application to establish wind turbines on this piece of land, and the conditions attached to the environmental authorization were that livestock should be removed from the piece of land. The population is however still likely to be impacted by infrastructure development at the site. |
Population |
There are only two known existing subpopulations of this species. A third, known from historical records, has not been relocated for 10 years despite searches in the area, and it is presumed extinct. Both existing subpopulations occur on some of the last remaining remnants of the Saldanha Granite Standveld around St. Helena Bay. The largest subpopulation consists of more than 1500 to 2000 mature individuals scattered across several properties earmarked for development. The second subpopulation is much smaller, consisting of fewer than 100 mature individuals. The population is declining due to the ongoing loss of habitat to coastal development.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Lachenalia viridiflora W.F.Barker | EN B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | 2017.1 | | Lachenalia viridiflora W.F.Barker | CR B1ab(ii,iii,v)+2ab(ii,iii,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Lachenalia viridiflora W.F.Barker | Endangered | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Lachenalia viridiflora W.F.Barker | Vulnerable | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography |
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.
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.
Smuts, L.M. 1995. Fact Sheet: Lachenalia viridiflora. Information System For Endangered Plants (ISEP). Cape Nature Conservation.
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Citation |
| Duncan, G.D., Helme, N.A., Ebrahim, I. & von Staden, L. 2022. Lachenalia viridiflora W.F.Barker. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2024/10/06 |
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