| Scientific Name | Spatalla tulbaghensis (E.Phillips) Rourke | Higher Classification | Dicotyledons | Family | PROTEACEAE | Common Names | Shaggy-hair Spoon (e) |
National Status | Status and Criteria | Endangered B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | Assessment Date | 2020/08/18 | Assessor(s) | A.G. Rebelo, H. Mtshali & L. von Staden | Justification | Spatalla tulbaghensis is a restricted endemic to the Witzenberg and Skurweberg mountains in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. It has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 267 km², and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 44-52 km², and is known from two locations. Subpopulations are declining due to ongoing habitat degradation from expanding fruit orchards, dam construction, altered drainage systems, overgrazing, alien plant invasion and dumping. This species is susceptible to drought-related mortality. It is therefore listed as Endangered under criterion B. |
Distribution | Endemism | South African endemic | Provincial distribution | Western Cape | Range | This species is known from the Witzenberg and Skurweberg mountains in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. |
Habitat and Ecology | Major system | Terrestrial | Major habitats | Winterhoek Sandstone Fynbos | Description | It occurs in moist, coarse sandy soils on flats, at 800-1700 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 insects. |
Threats | | At least 7% of this species habitat has been lost in the past, particularly in the southern parts of the range, due to agriculture (fruit orchards), construction of dams for irrigation and canalization and altered drainage. There is continuous loss of habitat due to agriculture expansion. The habitat is heavily grazed by cattle and also degraded by alien invasive pines and acacias, dumping (cuttings from fruit trees, onions and other food). Drought related mortalities has been noted. |
Population | This species is known from two subpopulations in a 20 km long range, which form small, dense isolated stands. The first subpopulation occurs on Witzenbergvlakte. This subpopulation was extensive on the flats in the 1960s. In 1991, 50 plants were found (Pool et al. 1992). Volunteer citizen scientists who worked on the Protea Atlas project (1991-2001) found three patches, two at the 1991 patch, but about 100 m south of the known remnant, and another 12 plants (and three dead) some 0.5 km to the north (Forshaw 2000). The southernmost patch is used as a cattle feed area and regularly has Acacia branches, onions and other food dumped. The two patches have been fenced off. The northernmost subpopulation occurs along a ditch dug to lead water to a farm dam. No plants could be found across the road from the two patches.
The second subpopulation occurs in Skurweberg over a 3 km range. About eight stands were discovered in 2004, and has about 5000 plants in total.
None of these subpopulations are in a protected area. In total there are fewer than 10 000 mature individuals in the population. Decline to the population as a result of degradation of habitat is ongoing.
| Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation | | It is not currently conserved in any formally protected area. |
Notes | | The higher altitude subpopulations appear to have longer flower heads, but it is not known if this is an age-related phenomenon or an environmental or genetic difference. This should formally be investigated. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Spatalla tulbaghensis (E.Phillips) Rourke | EN B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)c(iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)c(iv) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Spatalla tulbaghensis (E.Phillips) Rourke | Endangered | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Spatalla tulbaghensis (E.Phillips) Rourke | Vulnerable | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography | Forshaw, N. 2000. The Hanging Spoon – Sp tulbaghensis. Protea Atlas Newsletter 49:8.
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.
Pool, R., Smuts, L.M., East, P.R.J. and Burgers, C.J. 1992. Rare and threatened Proteaceae reports. Vol. 1. Cape Nature Conservation Unpublished Internal Report 9.
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. 2020. Spatalla tulbaghensis (E.Phillips) Rourke. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2024/12/08 |
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