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Scientific Name | Mimetes arboreus Rourke |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | PROTEACEAE |
Common Names | Kogelberg Pagoda (e), Kogelberg Silver Bottlebrush (e), Kogelberg Silver Pagoda (e), Kogelberg-vaalstompie (a) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v); C2a(ii) |
Assessment Date | 2020/06/02 |
Assessor(s) | A.G. Rebelo, D. Raimondo & L. von Staden |
Justification | Mimetes arboreus is a narrow endemic to the Kogelberg Mountains of South Africa, this species has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 89 km², and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 45 km² and occurs at between three and five threat based locations. There are fewer than 1000 plants at present, and slow ongoing declines are taking place as a result of too frequent fire and susceptibility to Phytophthora infections. It therefore qualifies as Endangered under criteria B and C. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | This species is known from Kogelberg Mountains, in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos |
Description | Plants occur on moist sandstone slopes, at altitudes of between 450 and 1200 m.a.s.l. 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 by rodents and germinate following fire. It is pollinated by birds. With a long, 8-year maturation period this species is susceptible to too-frequent fires. |
Threats |
| For the past 30 years the Kogelberg Nature Reserve has been well managed and there are few invasive plant species currently occurring where this species is found, however invasive plants pose a significant future potential threat as they occur abundantly in areas outside of the reserve, and constant clearing is currently undertaken to keep them out of this reserve. Furthermore this slow maturing species is susceptible to too frequent fire. Three of the four known subpopulations have burnt twice within a nine year period (2010 and 2019). Finally this species is vulnerable to Phytophthora infection however declines due to Phytophthora are difficult to quantify due to a lack of long term monitoring data being available for the majority of the subpopulations. Based on the combined impacts of Phytophthora infections and too frequent fire this species is suspected to be experiencing slow ongoing declines. |
Population |
It is known from four subpopulations which are all protected within the Kogelberg Nature Reserve. This species tends to be very patchy in its distribution this is due to it having limited seed dispersal as it is a myrmecochorous species. Occasional scattered stands of plants occur typically with between 5 and 20 plants. One large subpopulation of 800 plants was observed in 1999 but all were immature individuals and monitoring of other stands show that typically less than 50% survive to adulthood. None the less this one subpopulation found along a 8 km stretch of the Kogelberg-Steenbras Ridge includes 90% of the population. Three smaller subpopulations of fewer than 25 plants each occur at Buffelstalberg, Voorberg and Platberg. Repeat monitoring following different fires at Voorberg show that subpopulations can fluctuate in response to fire this subpopulation had 1 plant in 1992, 25 in 1999 and 3 in 2002. However as this species has soil stored seed banks, hence the total population is not suspected to be fluctuating. Slow ongoing declines are expected to be occurring as a result of too frequent fires and Phytophthora infections.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation |
| It is confined to the Kogelberg Nature Reserve. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Mimetes arboreus Rourke | EN B1ac(iv)+2ac(iv) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Mimetes arboreus Rourke | Rare | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | |
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.
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. Mimetes arboreus Rourke. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/12 |
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