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Scientific Name | Euphorbia sekukuniensis R.A.Dyer |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | EUPHORBIACEAE |
Common Names | Sekhukhune Candelabra Tree (e), Sekhukhuni Euphorbia (e), Sekhukhuni-naboom (a), Sekoekoensnaboom (a) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Rare |
Assessment Date | 2008/06/23 |
Assessor(s) | P.J.D. Winter, J.E. Victor & L. von Staden |
Justification | EOO 2300 km². A habitat specialist occurring in small, isolated subpopulations scattered over a wide area which seldom consists of more than 50 mature individuals. Potentially threatened by highly destructive open cast mining of norite substrates, but at present too widespread to qualify under VU D2. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Limpopo, Mpumalanga |
Range | Sekhukhuneland, Steelpoort River Valley and along the summit of the Leolo Mountains as far as the Olifants River Valley. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Sekhukhune Mountain Bushveld, Ohrigstad Mountain Bushveld |
Description | Closed woodland and thicket, in shallow norite soils on rocky outcrops among large boulders, 900-1300 m. |
Threats |
| This species occurs in a habitat relatively safe from expanding human settlements and the impacts of subsistence agriculture and overgrazing and is not declining (Fourie 1982, 1984). However, norite, the geological formation to which this species is restricted, is highly favoured for highly destructive open cast mining (Siebert et al. 2002b), and although very little of the habitat has been impacted by mining, mining is a significant potential threat to all subpopulations of this species. |
Population |
According to Fourie (1985) there are many more subpopulations of E. sekhukhuniensis than previously thought, but the species should still be considered as rare as subpopulations are found only sporadically scattered over a wide area and seldom consist of more than 50 mature individuals.
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Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Euphorbia sekukuniensis R.A.Dyer | Rare | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Euphorbia sekukuniensis R.A.Dyer | Rare | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Euphorbia sekukuniensis R.A.Dyer | Rare | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography |
Fourie, S.P. 1982. Threatened Euphorbias in the Transvaal. Aloe 19(4):111-123.
Fourie, S.P. 1984. Threatened Euphorbias of the Transvaal. The Euphorbia Journal 2:75-90.
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.
Siebert, S., Victor, J., van Wyk, B. and Bredenkamp, G. 2002. An assessment of threatened plants and conservation in Sekhukhuneland. PlantLife 26:7-18.
Siebert, S.J., van Wyk, A.E., Bredenkamp, G.J. and Siebert, F. 2003. Vegetation of the rock habitats of the Sekhukhuneland Centre of Plant Endemism, South Africa. Bothalia 33(2):207-228.
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Citation |
| Winter, P.J.D., Victor, J.E. & von Staden, L. 2008. Euphorbia sekukuniensis R.A.Dyer. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2024/12/08 |
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