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Scientific Name | Thesium virens E.Mey. ex A.DC. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | SANTALACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Data Deficient - Taxonomically Problematic |
Assessment Date | 2017/10/05 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden |
Justification | Thesium is taxonomically problematic and most species are poorly understood. The distribution range and habitat requirements of Thesium virens are very uncertain, and therefore its risk of extinction cannot be assessed at present. It is listed as Data Deficient - Taxonomically Problematic (DDT). |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal |
Range | This species is endemic to South Africa, however, its distribution is uncertain. It was described from two vague records from KwaZulu-Natal and the former Transkei (Hill 1915). Records in the national herbarium range from Zululand and the Maputaland coast to the Eastern Cape Drakensberg near Matatiele. Scott-Shaw (1999) suggests that it may be a narrow endemic to northern KwaZulu-Natal around Ngome and Ithala. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Mooi River Highland Grassland, Moist Coast Hinterland Grassland, Ithala Quartzite Sourveld, East Griqualand Grassland, Northern Zululand Mistbelt Grassland, Southern Drakensberg Highland Grassland, Drakensberg Afroalpine Heathland, KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt Grassland, Maputaland Wooded Grassland, Maputaland Coastal Belt |
Description | Its habitat is uncertain, it possibly occurs in open grassland. |
Threats |
| Threats to Thesium virens include habitat degradation, habitat loss and invasive alien species. |
Population |
There is no information available on the population of this species.
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Population trend | Unknown |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Thesium virens E.Mey. ex A.DC. | DDT | 2020.1 | | Thesium virens E.Mey. ex A.DC. | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Thesium virens E.Mey. ex A.DC. | Data Deficient | Scott-Shaw (1999) | |
Bibliography |
Hill, A.W. 1915. Santalaceae. In: W.T. Thiselton-Dyer (ed). Flora Capensis V Section II (Thymeleaceae-Ceratophylleae):135-212. L. Reeve & Co., Ltd., Ashford.
Hill, A.W. 1915. The Genus Thesium in South Africa, with a key and descriptions of new species. Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information (Royal Gardens, Kew) 1915(1):1-43.
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.
Scott-Shaw, C.R. 1999. Rare and threatened plants of KwaZulu-Natal and neighbouring regions. KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service, Pietermaritzburg.
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Citation |
| von Staden, L. 2017. Thesium virens E.Mey. ex A.DC. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/09 |
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