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Scientific Name | Encephalartos aemulans Vorster |
Higher Classification | Gymnosperms |
Family | ZAMIACEAE |
Common Names | Broodboom (a), Cycad (e), Ngotshe Cycad (e), Ngotshe-broodboom (a) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Critically Endangered B1ab(v)+2ab(v) |
Assessment Date | 2020/05/19 |
Assessor(s) | J.D. Bösenberg & B. Church |
Justification | This species is assessed as Critically Endangered under criterion B because it occurs essentially at one location with continuing decline in the number of individuals and is distributed within a very small AOO and EOO. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | KwaZulu-Natal |
Range | It is endemic to South Africa and occurs at a single locality in the Vryheid district of KwaZulu-Natal where it grows on south-facing sandstone cliffs and in short grassland. The latest aerial counts conducted by nature conservation authorities (2012) indicated that there were fewer than 600 plants in the population. Two old male plants were found approximately 10 km away at an altitude of 600 m but their continued survival at this site could not be verified. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Northern Zululand Sourveld |
Description | The plants prefer south facing sandstone cliffs in short grassland. Plants also occur below the cliffs in humus-rich scree where especially small plants were found in more shady conditions. Mature coning plants are fully exposed. The north and north-east slopes only had a few very old plants and conditions do not seem to favour seedling regeneration. The climate is hot in summer and cold in winter with possible light frost. Rainfall is 600-800 mm per annum with a summer maximum. |
Threats |
| This species' occurrence at a single site means the plants are vulnerable to environmental perturbations. Collecting has been a problem in the past although the bulk of the plants now occur within a private nature reserve. Collecting, however, still remains an issue. |
Population |
The latest aerial counts conducted by conservation authorities estimated that there were ca. 600 plants in the population. In the past, poaching was considered to be severe and the species was therefore listed as Critically Endangered under the Red List criteria B1ab(v)+2ab(v); C2a(ii) (IUCN 2010). Early reports (Scott-Shaw 1999) estimated that there were 150 plants surviving in the wild and Donaldson and co-workers counted <100 in one part of part of the population in 1997. The aerial counts provide a more accurate assessment and not any real increase in the population.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation |
| A large part of the population occurs within a private nature reserve. However the reserve is not secure against poachers and the owner believes that plants are still disappearing. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Encephalartos aemulans Vorster | CR B1ab(v)+2ab(v); C1 | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Encephalartos aemulans Vorster | EN B1B2cd,D1 | Scott-Shaw (1999) | | Encephalartos aemulans Vorster | Endangered | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | |
Bibliography |
Boon, R. 2010. Pooley's Trees of eastern South Africa. Flora and Fauna Publications Trust, Durban.
Donaldson, J.S. 2003. Cycads. Status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland; Cambridge, UK.
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.
Scott-Shaw, C.R. 1999. Rare and threatened plants of KwaZulu-Natal and neighbouring regions. KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service, Pietermaritzburg.
Von Breitenbach, F. and Von Breintenbach, J. 1992. Tree Atlas of Southern Africa. Dendrological Foundation, Pretoria.
Vorster, P. 1990. Encephalartos aemulans (Zamiaceae), a new species from northern Natal. South African Journal of Botany 56(2):239-243.
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Citation |
| Bösenberg, J.D. & Church, B. 2020. Encephalartos aemulans Vorster. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/07/09 |
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