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Scientific Name | Mimetes capitulatus (L.) R.Br. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | PROTEACEAE |
Common Names | Conical Pagoda (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v) |
Assessment Date | 2020/06/16 |
Assessor(s) | A.G. Rebelo & D. Raimondo |
Justification | Mimetes capitulatus is endemic to the mountains of the south western Cape in South Africa. It has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 545 km², and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 29 km². There are six threat based locations known and subpopulations at four of these are declining as a result of too frequent fire and the spread of woody invasive plants. Furthermore two of the subpopulations declined in the past due to illegal wildflower harvesting. The total known population consists of fewer than 5000 mature individuals however there is insufficient trend data to know how much the population has declined over the past three generations meaning that this species cannot be assessed under criterion C. It therefore qualifies for listing as Vulnerable under criteria B. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | This species is known from Kogelberg, Groenland and Kleinrivier Mountains in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos |
Description | It occurs on swampy, south-facing slopes of mountain peaks, 600-1200 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 germinate following fire. It is pollinated by birds. |
Threats |
| Two of the six known subpopulations have declined due to illegal wild flower harvesting in the past, currently this species is threatened by invasive alien plant species especially in the Grabouw region and on the Groenlandberg. Too frequent fire is also suspected to be causing ongoing habitat degradation and decline to the Groenlandberg subpopulation. |
Population |
Recorded from six subpopulations, the Mt Lebanon subpopulation had between 1500 and 2000 plants between 1992 and 1999, there has been no monitoring at this site for the past 20 years however the subpopulation is likely to have declined as a result of invasive species and short fire return intervals (two cycles of 10 years or less over the past 20 years). The Rockview subpopulation consisted of a few hundred plants in 1997 but declined to under 100 mature individuals in 2000 and only 30 plants were recorded in 2015. Declines are attributed to severe illegal harvesting between 1997 and 2000. A small isolated stand of fewer than five plants was recorded on the outskirts of Grabouw in 2015. The fourth subpopulation stretches over a length of 4 km between Kogelberg Peak and Five Beacon Ridge, it had a few hundred mature individuals extant between 1993 and 2001 and was still in good condition in 2015. Fire return intervals have been 12 years or more for the past few cycles which is natural. The fifth subpopulation of between 50 and 100 plants occurs on the saddle between Perdeberg and Tweelingpiek on the Palmietrivier Mountains. A handful of stands were recorded by the Protea Atlas Project between 1992 and 2002, this subpopulation burnt in 1988 and again in 2011. It was still extant with one stand of 10 plants recorded on iNaturalist in 2015. A full survey of this subpopulation remains to be undertaken, no decline is suspected.
This species has also been recorded from the Kleinrivier Mountains above Hermanus, one plant occurred on Maanskynkop in 2001 with the former subpopulation likely depleted due to flower harvesting, while this subpopulation is likely extinct now, a recent observation of three plants posted on iNaturalist from Fernkloof Nature Reserve is an indication that there may be a few more subpopulations on the Kleinrivier Mountains. The overall population has a declining trend due to too frequent fire and invasive species impacting the subpopulations in the north of its range.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Mimetes capitulatus (L.) R.Br. | EN B1ab(ii,iii,v)c(iv)+2ab(ii,iii,v)c(iv) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Mimetes capitulatus (L.) R.Br. | Rare | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Mimetes capitulatus (L.) R.Br. | Rare | 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.
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. 2020. Mimetes capitulatus (L.) R.Br. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/13 |
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