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Scientific Name | Leucadendron meyerianum H.Buek ex E.Phillips & Hutch. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | PROTEACEAE |
Common Names | Van Rhynsdorp Conebush (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered A4ac |
Assessment Date | 2020/07/07 |
Assessor(s) | A.G. Rebelo, D. Raimondo, N.A. Helme & L. von Staden |
Justification | Leucadendron meyerianum is range-restricted species from the Bokkeveld region of South Africa. It has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 154 km² and area of occupancy (AOO) of 76 km². It is undergoing rapid habitat loss to expanding rooibos tea cultivation. A total of 40% of subpopulations monitored between 1992 and 2002 have subsequently been lost to rooibos tea. At the current rate of habitat loss it is projected that the population will have been reduced by between 55% and 70% by 2040. This species has a generation length linked to fire return intervals of 20 years. It therefore qualifies for listing as Endangered under criterion A. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Northern Cape, Western Cape |
Range | This species is known from Bokkeveld Mountains, in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos |
Description | It occurs on sandy flats in sandstone fynbos, 830 m.a.s.l, this species is typically concentrated in deep sandy patches. Mature individuals are killed by fires, and only seeds survive. Seeds are released after ripening, and collected by rodents and stored in underground caches, where they are protected from fires. It is dioecious, with insect-pollinated male and female flowers occurring on separate plants. This species is a 'fire weed' recruiting in high numbers following fires, it however rapidly senesces and is not visible in vegetation older than 20 years of age. |
Threats |
| A total of 40% of the stands of plants that were monitored during the Protea Atlas Project that took place between 1992 and 2002, have subsequently gone extinct as a result of cultivation for rooibos tea. Loss of its deep sandy habitat to rooibos cultivation is ongoing as the rooibos tea market continues to grow globally. Furthermore, as this species is dependent on fire to recruit, too-infrequent fire due to fire exclusion management for maintaining crops (rooibos tea and cereals) is a severe ongoing threat. Many of the remaining subpopulations occur in small isolated patches between cultivated fields where they will never be burnt. As plants are often present only in the seedbank in vegetation that is over 20 years old, environmental impact assessments often miss this species and permission is granted for agricultural development to take place, leading to ongoing loss of habitat. |
Population |
This species is restricted to suitable habitat that is found within a 10 km band that runs for 25 kms along the Bokkeveld Escarpment. It is naturally locally dominant in deep sands and is common after fire but mature individuals die after 20 years and it can be almost absent from vegetation over 30 years old. With the rapid expansion of rooibos farming, fire is suppressed throughout most of its range, leading to lack of recruitment and the population is declining throughout its range. It is currently recorded from eight threat based locations of which only one is a protected area, the Ooorlogskloof Nature Reserve. Each of the other locations are on private farms all of which farm rooibos tea.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation |
| A small subpopulation occurs in Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve. A large subpopulation south of Saaikloof is in a proposed conservation area. The Northern Cape Department of Agriculture has stated that they will not turn down applications to plough up virgin land based purely on ecological reasons. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Leucadendron meyerianum H.Buek ex E.Phillips & Hutch. | EN A3c; B1b(i,ii,iii,iv,v)c(iv)+2b(i,ii,iii,iv,v)c(iv) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
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.
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., Raimondo, D., Helme, N.A. & von Staden, L. 2020. Leucadendron meyerianum H.Buek ex E.Phillips & Hutch. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/17 |
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