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Scientific Name | Leucospermum glabrum E.Phillips |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | PROTEACEAE |
Common Names | Outeniekwa-kreupelhout (a), Outeniqua Pincushion (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered C2a(ii) |
Assessment Date | 2020/04/17 |
Assessor(s) | A.G. Rebelo, D. Raimondo & L. von Staden |
Justification | Leucospermum glabrum is a restricted endemic with an extent of occurrence (EOO) ranging between 1620 and 1642 km², and an area of occupancy (AOO) of between 152 and 156 km². This species occurs as scattered small subpopulations with the total population not exceeding 2500 mature individuals, and each subpopulation having fewer than 250 plants. The mountains where this species occurs have been extensively surveyed during the 1990s as part of the Protea Atlas Project and again between 2005 and 2018 by citizen scientists working as part of the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers programme. It is highly unlikely that there are large unrecorded subpopulations. Invasive alien plants and incorrect fire return intervals and burn season is resulting in an ongoing decline in the number of mature individuals. This species therefore qualifies as Endangered under criterion C. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | This species is endemic to the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains in the southern Cape, South Africa. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Tsitsikamma Sandstone Fynbos, South Outeniqua Sandstone Fynbos, Garden Route Shale Fynbos, Garden Route Granite Fynbos |
Description | It occurs on wet south slopes in sandstone fynbos. 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. This species is pollinated by birds. |
Threats |
| There has been a loss of 36% of this species habitat in the past mainly to afforestation, this threat is no longer ongoing, but remaining subpopulations are small and isolated and are impacted by fires in the incorrect season as well as too frequent fire return intervals. Invasive alien plants are also causing ongoing degradation of habitat and loss of mature individuals. |
Population |
This species is known from scattered isolated subpopulations over a 110 km stretch of mountains. Between 15 and 18 subpopulations are known today, it is possible that three have been lost since they were recorded in the late 1990s but resurveying of these sites has not taken place. This species is still extant at 15 subpopulations all are smaller than 250 individuals and 9 have fewer than 10 plants. Decline in the number of mature individuals is ongoing in response to inappropriate fire management and loss to invasive alien plant species.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Leucospermum glabrum E.Phillips | EN B1ab(iii,v)c(iv)+2ab(iii,v)c(iv); C2a(i) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Leucospermum glabrum E.Phillips | Not Threatened | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Leucospermum glabrum E.Phillips | Vulnerable | Hall et al. (1980) | |
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.
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., Raimondo, D. & von Staden, L. 2020. Leucospermum glabrum E.Phillips. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/14 |
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