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Scientific Name | Asparagus mollis (Oberm.) Fellingham & N.L.Mey. |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | ASPARAGACEAE |
Synonyms | Protasparagus mollis Oberm. |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable B1ab(iii,v) |
Assessment Date | 2016/11/01 |
Assessor(s) | D. Raimondo & S.M. Burrows |
Justification | Asparagus mollis is a rare and poorly known species with a restricted range. The extent of occurrence (EOO) is 2946 km². There are fewer than 10 locations, and it continues to decline due to ongoing habitat loss in the Overberg. Subpopulations in the northern part of the range are not threatened. It is listed as Vulnerable under the criterion B. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Northern Cape, Western Cape |
Range | This species is endemic to South Africa, and is found from the Southern Roggeveld Escarpment to Matjiesfontein, with an isolated subpopulation known from the central Overberg. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Tanqua Escarpment Shrubland, Matjiesfontein Shale Renosterveld, Central Mountain Shale Renosterveld, Roggeveld Shale Renosterveld |
Description | It grows in dwyka tillite. |
Threats |
| This species' suitable habitat in the Overberg have been extensively converted to crop fields in the past, and loss and degradation of the last remaining fragments continues. The species is known from one record from the Overberg, where it was last recorded in the 1980s, and it is not known how much the population has declined in this area, but decline is suspected to continue. There are no significant threats to subpopulations at Matjiesfontein and on the Roggeveld Escarpment. |
Population |
Asparagus mollis is known from four locations, but may be overlooked and under-sampled as Asparagus is taxonomically problematic and species are difficult to identify. A large disjunction in the known distribution range suggests that there may be more subpopulations in intervening areas.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Asparagus mollis (Oberm.) Fellingham & N.L.Mey. | VU B1ab(iii,v) | 2017.1 | | Asparagus mollis (Oberm.) Fellingham & N.L.Mey. | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
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.
Snijman, D.A. 2013. Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 2: The extra Cape flora. Strelitzia 30. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
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Citation |
| Raimondo, D. & Burrows, S.M. 2016. Asparagus mollis (Oberm.) Fellingham & N.L.Mey. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/09 |
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