Kammanassie Conebush

Taxonomy
Scientific Name
Leucadendron singulare I.Williams
Higher Classification
Dicotyledons
Family
PROTEACEAE
Common Names
Kammanassie Conebush (e)
National Status
Status and Criteria
Vulnerable D1+2
Assessment Date
2020/06/15
Assessor(s)
A.G. Rebelo, H. Mtshali & L. von Staden
Justification
Leucadendron singulare is known from three locations that are potentially threatened by too frequent fire and alien invasive plants. The population is small and consist of fewer than 1000 mature individuals. Therefore it is listed as Vulnerable under criterion D.
Distribution
Endemism
South African endemic
Provincial distribution
Western Cape
Range
This species endemic is to the Kammanassie Mountains in the Western Cape Province, South Africa.
Habitat and Ecology
Major system
Terrestrial
Major habitats
South Kammanassie Sandstone Fynbos, North Kammanassie Sandstone Fynbos
Description
It occurs in crevices along rocky mountain summits, 1000-1950 m. Mature individuals are killed by fires, and only seeds survive. Seeds are released after ripening, and dispersed by ants to their underground nests, where they are protected from predation and fire. It is dioecious, with insect-pollinated male and female flowers occurring on separate plants.
Threats
There are no current severe threats to this species. As a reseeder, it is potentially vulnerable to inappropriate fire management. Recent field observations recorded a lack of effective fire management as well as the presence of alien invasive plants in low densities in the Kammanassie Mountains. These threats may cause this subpopulation to decline in future. While this species was predicted to decline by more than 30% by 2025 as a result of climate change and habitat loss (Bomhard et al. 2005). No such reductions has been observed, mainly because this species predominantly occurs in crevices in protected areas.
Population

Leucadendron singulare is known from several scattered subpopulations over a 29 km range along the summit ridge of the Kammanassieberg. Several new subpopulations have been discovered during the Protea Atlas project. Four subpopulations are large, found at Mannetjiesberg and Kammanassieberg Peaks, all with over 100 mature individuals. The remaining subpopulations consist of less than 100 plants (and often less than 10) scattered along the ridge.


Population trend
Stable
Conservation
Most of the subpopulations are in the Kammanassie Nature Reserve, but the two largest occur predominantly just outside the boundary.
Assessment History
Taxon assessed
Status and Criteria
Citation/Red List version
Leucadendron singulare I.WilliamsVU A3c+4c; D2Raimondo et al. (2009)
Leucadendron singulare I.WilliamsRare Hilton-Taylor (1996)
Leucadendron singulare I.WilliamsRare Hall et al. (1980)
Bibliography

Bomhard, B., Richardson, D.M., Donaldson, J.S., Hughes, G.O., Midgley, G.F., Raimondo, D.C., Rebelo, A.G., Rouget, M. and Thuiller, W. 2005. Potential impacts of future land use and climate change on the Red List status of the Proteaceae in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. Global Change Biology 11(9):1452-1468.


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.


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.


Manning, J.C. and Goldblatt, P. 2012. Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 1: The Core Cape Flora. Strelitzia 29. South African National Biodiversity 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.


Rebelo, T. 2001. Sasol Proteas: A field guide to the proteas of southern Africa. (2nd ed.). Fernwood Press, Vlaeberg, Cape Town.


Vlok, J. and Schutte-Vlok, A.L. 2010. Plants of the Klein Karoo. Umdaus Press, Hatfield.


Citation
Rebelo, A.G., Mtshali, H. & von Staden, L. 2020. Leucadendron singulare I.Williams. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/23

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Distribution map

© D. Turner

© J.H. Vlok/A.L. Schutte-Vlok


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