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Scientific Name | Xerophyta vallispongolana J.E.Burrows, S.M.Burrows & Behnke |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | VELLOZIACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable D2 |
Assessment Date | 2014/05/18 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden & J.E. Burrows |
Justification | A localized species (EOO 268 km²), known from three locations and potentially threatened by habitat loss and degradation as well as competition from alien invasive plants. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga |
Range | Piet Retief. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Swaziland Sour Bushveld, Paulpietersburg Moist Grassland |
Description | Rocky outcrops in grassland. |
Threats |
| This species is potentially threatened by habitat loss to mining, expanding timber plantations, and competition from alien invasive plants. |
Population |
The subpopulation at the type locality consists of several hundred plants scattered over an area of about 2000 m². It is also fairly common in the Pongola River Valley somewhat further to the south (J.E. Burrows pers. comm.). No data is available on the size of a third known subpopulation in the upper Pongola River Valley in KwaZulu-Natal, just south of the border with Mpumalanga Province. At two known locations in southern Mpumalanga, subpopulations are not currently suspected to be declining (J.E. Burrows pers. obs.), but are vulnerable to potential habitat loss and degradation.
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Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Xerophyta vallispongolana J.E.Burrows, S.M.Burrows & Behnke | VU D2 | 2014.1 | |
Bibliography |
Behnke, H.D., Hummel, E., Hillmer, S., Sauer-Gürth, H., Gonzalez, J. and Wink, M. 2013. A revision of African Velloziaceae based on leaf anatomy characters and rbcL nucleotide sequences. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 172(1):22-94.
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Citation |
| von Staden, L. & Burrows, J.E. 2014. Xerophyta vallispongolana J.E.Burrows, S.M.Burrows & Behnke. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/01/25 |
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