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Scientific Name | Leucospermum arenarium Rycroft |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | PROTEACEAE |
Common Names | Redelinghuys Pincushion (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Critically Endangered A4ac |
Assessment Date | 2020/07/22 |
Assessor(s) | A.G. Rebelo, H. Mtshali, L. von Staden & N.A. Helme |
Justification | Leucospermum arenarium is a highly localized species (extent of occurrence 140 km², and area of occupancy of 96-100 km²), that has declined significantly in the past, primarily due to agriculture expansion, but also to inappropriate fire management. The population is severely fragmented and there is continuing decline due to ongoing habitat loss and degradation as a result of agricultural expansion. A population reduction of 81% is projected to be met by 2052, over a period of less than three generations for this reseeder (generation length 20 years). It therefore qualifies as Critically Endangered under criterion A. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | Leucospermum arenarium has a very limited distribution range in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, where it occurs from Redelinghuys to Aurora, and around Malmesbury. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Leipoldtville Sand Fynbos |
Description | It occurs on flats with deep sandy soils, 80-280 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 pollinated by birds. It has a generation length of 20 years. |
Threats |
| A large proportion over 57% of this species habitat has been converted to agriculture, primarily cereals, potatoes and rooibos tea in the past. Habitat loss continues due to ongoing agriculture expansion (16% loss recorded between 1990 and 2014). Plants remain in isolated fragments along road verges or in strips between crops where they are threatened by too-infrequent fires, and spreading alien invasive acacia species. As this species is confined to deep sands on flats, all of its remainng extant habitat is vulnerable to future expansion of crops and a further 30% loss is likely in the next 20 years.
Climate change modesl predicted that this species would to be extinct by 2025 (Bomhard et al. 2005), while no drastic population reductions have yet been observed ongoing aridification of vegetation on South Africa's West Coast as a result of climate change will undoubtly cause future decline to this species. |
Population |
This species is confined to a single 16 km-long range where it formerly occurred as one continuous population. It has however experienced significant habitat transformation to agricultural lands and the majority of remaining subpopulations are small and fragmented. Based on individual subpopulation monitoring records from the Protea Atlas programme run between 1992 to 2002, the population has declined by 51% between 1992 and 2014. The majority of the remnant patches are confined to road verges and vegetation strips remaining between crops. These are likely to continue to decline and any remaining flat patches of vegetation are vulnerable to being lost to crop cultivation. Already over 200 ha of prime habitat has been converted since 2014. Based on current trends in habitat loss and habitat degradation we predict that the population will decline by a further 30% by 2052. A total decline in excess of 80% between 1992 and 1952 (three generations) is predicted.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation |
| A portion of its distribution was planned to go under protection (e.g. Koelgat mountains, and farms between Aurora region) as private conservation in a land steward programme, however despite efforts to protect this land since 2005 no progress has been made and none of this species habitat is yet protected. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Leucospermum arenarium Rycroft | CR A3c+4c | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Leucospermum arenarium Rycroft | Endangered | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Leucospermum arenarium Rycroft | Rare | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography |
Anonymous. 1992. Nick at the helm again: range extensions in the sandveld. Protea Atlas Newsletter 16:6.
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., Mtshali, H., von Staden, L. & Helme, N.A. 2020. Leucospermum arenarium Rycroft. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/17 |
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