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Scientific Name | Encephalartos eugene-maraisii I.Verd. |
Higher Classification | Gymnosperms |
Family | ZAMIACEAE |
Common Names | Bergpalm (a), Bergpalmboom (a), Broodboom (a), Mofaka (ns), Waterberg Cycad (e), Waterberg-broodboom (a), Wildedatel (a) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered A2ad+4ad; B1ab(v) |
Assessment Date | 2020/04/30 |
Assessor(s) | J.D. Bösenberg |
Justification | This species is assessed as Critically Endangered. This species is known primarily from a single locality with a second small non-viable cluster of five plants. The fragmented distribution has negative implications for the smaller site where the physical distance from the main site, together with a small number of plants, precludes any chance of reproduction. Although the main subpopulation is now included in a reserve, collecting still remains a threat -107 plants were illegally removed in January 2008 and poaching incidents on the unprotected hill have been recorded recently. Other cycad species in the vicinity have been decimated by collectors. This threat means that the entire range (within an extent of occurrence of only 8 km2) is one location. Thus it qualifies as Critically Endangered under criterion B. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Limpopo |
Range | It occurs in the Waterberg range in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. There are two areas, separated by about 100 km, in which this species is found. It occurs from 1,400 to 1,500 m asl. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Waterberg Mountain Bushveld, Waterberg-Magaliesberg Summit Sourveld |
Description | The species grows on sandstone hills and rocky ridges of the Waterberg range. They grow in open grassland and savanna. |
Threats |
| It is severely threatened due to over-collecting for ornamental purposes and this could lead to reproductive failure. Indeed, there is no evidence of any recruitment into the population over the last 20 years.
A total of 217 plants were missing from a reserve when the surveys of 2008 and 2011 are compared. Another report estimates that as many as 1,000 stems had been removed from this reserve after the survey in 2008. However, the poaching of these plants has recently dropped off dramatically (S. Rodgers pers. Comm. 2020). |
Population |
This species comprises small scattered subpopulations, with poaching of plants having resulted in individuals being far from one another in certain cases. Nature conservation officials undertook helicopter surveys in 2004 and counted 982 plants in 12 localities. This is regarded as a slight underestimate due to poor visibility at the time of surveying. A ground survey of the main locality in 2008 indicated the presence of 623 plants consisting of single and multi-stemmed plants. This survey was done on a reserve with the highest density of this species. A partial repeat survey done in January 2011 indicated that 217 plants were missing from this reserve when the surveys of 2008 and 2011 are compared. This comprises >50% of the plants in the subsample.
The figure of 982 plants given for the helicopter survey in 2004 is for the total number of large stems and suckers counted. The number of multi-stemmed adult plants counted was 456. A helicopter survey in 2020 counted considerably less, confirming the ongoing decline. The helicopter surveys have, however, shown to give a fairly large underestimate. The total number of adult plants is estimated to be 400-620 plants in the wild.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation |
| Protected within a national park, a private nature reserve and a natural heritage site. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Encephalartos eugene-maraisii I.Verd. | EN C1 | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Encephalartos eugene-maraisii I.Verd. | Vulnerable | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Encephalartos eugene-maraisii I.Verd. | Vulnerable | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography |
Donaldson, J.S. 2003. Cycads. Status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland; Cambridge, UK.
Goode, D. 1989. Cycads of Africa. Struik/Winchester, Cape Town.
Goode, D. 2001. Cycads of Africa Volume I. D&E Cycads of Africa, Gallo Manor.
Grobbelaar, N. 2003. Cycads. With special reference to the southern African species. (2nd ed.). Nat Grobbelaar, Pretoria.
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.
Osborne, R. 1989. Focus on Encephalartos laevifolius. Encephalartos 19:2-8.
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.
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Citation |
| Bösenberg, J.D. 2020. Encephalartos eugene-maraisii I.Verd. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/01/17 |
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