Ngoye Dwarf Cycad

Taxonomy
Scientific Name
Encephalartos ngoyanus I.Verd.
Higher Classification
Gymnosperms
Family
ZAMIACEAE
Common Names
Ngoye Dwarf Cycad (e)
National Status
Status and Criteria
Vulnerable A4acd; C1
Assessment Date
2009/10/31
Assessor(s)
J.S. Donaldson
Justification
Subpopulations have declined over the past 30 years and are projected to continue declining due to harvesting for private collections and local use. Past decline is suspected to be over 20% and future decline is likely to exceed 10% over the next generation (30 years). It is apparently extremely difficult to find at the type locality near Ngoye forest and only about 5000 mature individuals are estimated to remain in the wild.
Distribution
Endemism
Not endemic to South Africa
Provincial distribution
KwaZulu-Natal
Range
Lebombo Mountains in Swaziland and Mozambique. An isolated subpopulation occurs in central KwaZulu-Natal.
Habitat and Ecology
Major system
Terrestrial
Major habitats
Southern Lebombo Bushveld, Scarp Forest, KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt Grassland
Description
Open grassland and forest margins, often among boulders.
Threats
Overgrazing and veld fires have taken their toll on wild populations and overzealous collectors have removed thousands of plants.
Population

The population is declining and estimated to number between 4 300 and 5 000 mature individuals. At current rates of decline, a population reduction of 30-40% is likely to be met in the near future.


Population trend
Decreasing
Assessment History
Taxon assessed
Status and Criteria
Citation/Red List version
Encephalartos ngoyanus I.Verd.VU A4acd; C1Raimondo et al. (2009)
Encephalartos ngoyanus I.Verd.VU A1,B1B2abcd,D2Scott-Shaw (1999)
Encephalartos ngoyanus I.Verd.Vulnerable Hilton-Taylor (1996)
Encephalartos ngoyanus 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.


Giddy, C. 1990. Focus on Encephalartos ngoyanus. Encephalartos 23:3-9.


Golding, J.S. 2002. Southern African plant red data lists. No. 14. SABONET, 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.


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.


Citation
Donaldson, J.S. 2009. Encephalartos ngoyanus I.Verd. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2023/12/01

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Distribution map


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