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Scientific Name | Encephalartos horridus (Jacq.) Lehm. |
Higher Classification | Gymnosperms |
Family | ZAMIACEAE |
Common Names | Blue Cycad (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered A2acd+4acd |
Assessment Date | 2020/06/01 |
Assessor(s) | J.D. Bösenberg |
Justification | This species is assessed as Endangered. This species has declined across wide areas of its former range, mostly due to expanding urban settlements and collecting. Subpopulations near Port Elizabeth and between PE and Uitenhage no longer exist. Although the extent of occurrence and area of occupancy are smaller than required for an Endangered listing status, the species is known from more than five locations. The listing of Endangered is based on population declines of more than 50%, mostly over the past 20 years. This is considerably less than one generation (200 years) but further extrapolation is not possible and so this is treated as the minimum decline. This decline is likely to continue happening into the near future. This species is in serious need of a detailed population study as many plants have been lost to poaching and it may be more threatened than previously thought. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape |
Range | This species is distributed in xeric thicket vegetation between Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage and north of Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Sundays Valley Thicket, Bethelsdorp Bontveld |
Description | It usually occurs in xeric thicket vegetation, often on rocky quartzite outcrops. The now extinct subpopulations north and west of Port Elizabeth probably occurred in Sandstone Fynbos. |
Threats |
| This species is now extinct in several parts of its former range where it has been totally eliminated by urban development. Substantial numbers have also been removed by collectors in the past 50 years. It is difficult to estimate what proportion of plants have disappeared but it could be as high as 50% and with further investigation it may be substantially more. |
Population |
The exact number of plants is unknown. Although several subpopulations have been visited regularly, there may be many unknown plants in the dense bush where Encephalartos horridus occurs. There is evidence of substantial poaching in the last 10 years leading to a decline in subpopulations that were previously regarded as stable. For example, a subpopulation that was regularly monitored showed no decline from 1988 to 2008 but >50% decline from 2008 to 2016.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation |
| Protected in several private game reserves. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Encephalartos horridus (Jacq.) Lehm. | EN A2cd | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Encephalartos horridus (Jacq.) Lehm. | Vulnerable | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Encephalartos horridus (Jacq.) Lehm. | 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.
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.
Kemp, M. 1986. Focus on Encephalartos horridus. Encephalartos 7:8-13.
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 horridus (Jacq.) Lehm. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/12 |
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