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Scientific Name | Encephalartos middelburgensis Vorster, Robbertse & S.van der Westh. |
Higher Classification | Gymnosperms |
Family | ZAMIACEAE |
Synonyms | Encephalartos eugene-maraisii I.Verd. subsp. middelburgensis Lavranos & D.L.Goode |
Common Names | Broodboom (a), Cycad (e), Middelburg Cycad (e), Middelburg-broodboom (a) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Critically Endangered A2acde; C1 |
Assessment Date | 2020/05/13 |
Assessor(s) | J.D. Bösenberg, J.S. Donaldson & T. Steyn |
Justification | This species has declined continuously over at least the past 50 years, and populations are still declining due to poaching and disease. Based on the numbers of plants in collections, the rate of decline, and a limited number of plants found in repeat photographs, decline is estimated at >80% over the past 50 years. This is less than one generation, but further extrapolation is difficult, so this is treated as a minimum population reduction. Therefore, it is assessed as Critically Endangered. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Gauteng, Mpumalanga |
Range | It has a restricted and fragmented distribution and is confined to the City of Tshwane district municipality in Gauteng and to the Nkangala district municipality in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Subpopulations occur in the upper catchment areas of the Olifants River, which includes the Wilge and Klein Olifants Rivers. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Loskop Mountain Bushveld, Rand Highveld Grassland |
Description | It occurs in open grasslands and in sheltered valleys, at 1,100 to 1,400 m. |
Threats |
| The discovery of the taxon in the Middelburg district triggered off a serious collector threat during the 1960s. The general accessibility of sites and the proximity of the distribution region to the Pretoria/Witwatersrand urban complex resulted in an extremely heavy exploitation during those years when cycad-collecting became a fashion (Fourie 1984). Although legislation has curbed the activities of collectors, the exploitation by individuals of the taxon is still ongoing today.
The development of semi-intensive agricultural areas within and around the distribution range resulted in increased burning of the habitat and grazing practices. The taxon is extremely vulnerable to fire and not stimulated as is the case with Encephalartos lanatus (Fourie 1984).
Officials from Gauteng Nature Conservation (2005-2010) observed evidence of disease on the stems of some of the few wild plants that remain in Gauteng. Mpumalanga officials observed evidence of intensive poaching in some of the Mpumalanga subpopulations - in many cases, suckers had been removed from the plants. There is also evidence that pollinators are absent from several subpopulations, which means that natural regeneration cannot take place. |
Population |
The population originally occurred across several sites in the vicinity of Middelburg, Bronkhorstspruit and Loskop dam in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa and likely comprised several thousand mature individuals. The population is known to have declined dramatically and detailed surveys in 2014 counted only 184 plants of which five have since been illegally removed (T. Steyn pers. comm.). Most of the plants occur within a nature reserve.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation |
| Recorded from various private nature reserves. The species is listed as Specially Protected in provincial conservation Ordinances and is included on the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act's list of Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS), as well as CITES Appendix I. Within Gauteng, most wild individuals occur within private nature reserves. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Encephalartos middelburgensis Vorster, Robbertse & S.van der Westh. | CR A2acd; C1 | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Encephalartos middelburgensis Vorster, Robbertse & S.van der Westh. | CR A2acd+3cd | Pfab and Victor (2002) | | Encephalartos middelburgensis Vorster, Robbertse & S.van der Westh. | Endangered | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | |
Bibliography |
Donaldson, J.S. 2003. Cycads. Status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland; Cambridge, UK.
Fourie, S.P. 1984. Flora Conservation Plan: Encephalartos lanatus. Transvaal Chief Directorate of Nature and Environmental Conservation.
Grobbelaar, N. 2003. Cycads. With special reference to the southern African species. (2nd ed.). Nat Grobbelaar, Pretoria.
Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Pfab, M.F. and Victor, J.E. 2002. Threatened plants of Gauteng, South Africa. South African Journal of Botany 68:370-375.
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.
Retief, E. and Herman, P.P.J. 1997. Plants of the northern provinces of South Africa: keys and diagnostic characters. Strelitzia 6. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Robbertse, P.J., Vorster, P. and van der Westhuizen, S. 1989. Encephalartos middelburgensis (Zamiaceae): a new species from the Transvaal. South African Journal of Botany 55(1):122-126.
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Citation |
| Bösenberg, J.D., Donaldson, J.S. & Steyn, T. 2020. Encephalartos middelburgensis Vorster, Robbertse & S.van der Westh. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/18 |
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