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Scientific Name | Leucadendron cryptocephalum Guthrie |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | PROTEACEAE |
Common Names | Concealed Conebush (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered B1b(iii,v)c(iv)+2ab(iii,v)c(iv) |
Assessment Date | 2019/09/02 |
Assessor(s) | A.G. Rebelo, H. Mtshali & L. von Staden |
Justification | Leucadendron cryptocephalum has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 260-261 km², and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 28-32 km², two fragmented subpopulations remain. Two subpopulations known through herbarium records are now locally extinct due to habitat loss to crop cultivation and alien plant invasion. Monitoring since 1982 has recorded fire-related population fluctuations, and the two remaining subpopulations continue to decline due to alien plant invasion, inappropriate fire management and overgrazing. It therefore qualifies for listing as Endangered under criterion B. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | This species has a very limited distribution in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, where it occurs on the Groenland Mountains and on the Potberg. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Potberg Ferricrete Fynbos, Elim Ferricrete Fynbos |
Description | It occurs on north-facing slopes in soils where gravels overlay clays, 50-400 m. Mature individuals are killed by fires, and only seeds survive. Wind-dispersed seeds are stored in fire-resistant inflorescences, and released after fires. It is dioecious, with insect-pollinated male and female flowers occurring on separate plants. |
Threats |
| It has lost 67% of habitat in the past to crop fields, mainly cereals and pasture fields, and slow, ongoing loss of habitat has been recorded over past 24 years. Remaining subpopulations are threatened by ongoing habitat degradation by woody plant alien invasive wattles and hakeas, and overgrazing of remaining fragments by cattle. Population fluctuations related to too frequent fires has be noted during monitoring that has taken place in the past 30 years. |
Population |
it is is currently known from two extant subpopulations over a 120 km long range. Extreme fluctuations are inferred from the fact that this species is a serotinous reseeder, which are known to undergo density-dependent population fluctuations of one to three orders of magnitude in response to fire (Bond et al. 1995). The subpopulation on the north slopes of Potberg is the largest with several thousand plants over a 2 km zone, last observed between 1991 and 2002. The second subpopulation in Shaw's Pass declined from 40 adults and 400 seedlings in 1977 (Hall 1982) to about seven adults and 200 seedlings in 1980; 30 adults in 1992; one adult and no seedlings in 2002; and 11 mature individuals in 2005. The remaining subpopulations are not protected, and continue to decline due to habitat degradation.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation |
| The Diepkloof subpopulation on Potberg has been identified as a high priority site for inclusion into the De Hoop Nature Reserve since 1986, however although included in the Potberg Conservancy the area has not yet been secured for formal conservation.
The Shaw’s Pass area was being considered for proclamation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1980 (Hall, 1982a), but this was also never realised and despite repeated negotiations taking place with the relevant municipality which owns the land this site remains unprotected and highly threatened. |
Notes |
| This species is very similar to L. laureolum and easily misidentified as such. It is smaller in size, paler in colouring and earlier in flowering. However, it is the very tight involucral leaves which seal off the female flowerheads that are the diagnostic character for this species. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Leucadendron cryptocephalum Guthrie | EN B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)c(iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,v)c(iv) | 2020.1 | | Leucadendron cryptocephalum Guthrie | CR B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Leucadendron cryptocephalum Guthrie | Endangered | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Leucadendron cryptocephalum Guthrie | Endangered | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography |
Bond, W.J., Maze, K. and Desmet, P. 1995. Fire life histories and the seeds of chaos. Ecoscience 2(3):252-260.
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. 1982. Rare plants Gazette No 1. February 1982. Bolus Herbarium, University of 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.
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Citation |
| Rebelo, A.G., Mtshali, H. & von Staden, L. 2019. Leucadendron cryptocephalum Guthrie. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/14 |
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