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Scientific Name | Lachenalia salteri W.F.Barker |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | HYACINTHACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2020/03/18 |
Assessor(s) | N.A. Helme, D. Raimondo & L. von Staden |
Justification | Lachenalia salteri is a highly range-restricted species, with an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 509-702 km². It is also rare and localized to wetlands on coastal flats, and an estimated seven to 10 locations remain. It continues to decline due to ongoing habitat loss, degradation and competition from alien invasive plants. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | This species is endemic to a small area of the Western Cape's coastal lowlands, where it occurs from the southern Cape Peninsula eastwards along the coast to Elim on the western Agulhas Plain. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Overberg Sandstone Fynbos, Agulhas Limestone Fynbos, Agulhas Sand Fynbos, Hangklip Sand Fynbos |
Description | It is localized to marshy and seasonally wet flats near the coast. It flowers profusely in response to fire, but is not dependent of fire for flowering. It is pollinated by honey bees, and scapes remain attached to bulbs for several weeks following capsule dehiscence, resulting in seeds being dispersed locally. |
Threats |
| This species is severely threatened by ongoing habitat loss and degradation due to urban expansion and coastal development between Betty's Bay and Hermanus. Several subpopulations known through historical records are now locally extinct due to habitat loss, and loss continues. Development also leads to fire exclusion in wetlands surrounded by housing developments, due to the risk to private property, resulting in reduced flowering and seed set. Development has also impacted water flow dynamics in wetlands around Betty's Bay, resulting in areas that were formerly seasonally inundated - the preferred habitat of this species - becoming permanently inundated. Around Elim it is threatened by habitat loss to agriculture and competition from alien invasive plants. |
Population |
There are very few recent observations of this highly localized species, with only four subpopulations recorded during recent field surveys. Intact habitat still exists in places such as Sirkelsvlei on the Cape Peninsula, and around the lower reaches of the Palmiet River between Betty's Bay and Kleinmond, but in these areas the species was last recorded in the 1930s (Cape Peninsula) and 1960s (Palmiet River). Field surveys are urgently needed to confirm whether these subpopulations still exist. As habitat loss and degradation continues, this species is expected to continue to decline.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Lachenalia salteri W.F.Barker | VU B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | 2020.1 | | Lachenalia salteri W.F.Barker | EN B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Duncan, G.D. 2012. The genus Lachenalia. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
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.
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.
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Citation |
| Helme, N.A., Raimondo, D. & von Staden, L. 2020. Lachenalia salteri W.F.Barker. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/06/28 |
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