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Scientific Name | Ocotea kenyensis (Chiov.) Robyns & R.Wilczek |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | LAURACEAE |
Synonyms | Ocotea viridis Kosterm. |
Common Names | Bastard Stinkwood (e), Baster-stinkhout (a), Mock Stinkwood (e), Transvaal Stinkwood (e), Transvaal-stinkhout (a), Umnukane (x), Vals-stinkhout (a) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable D1 |
Assessment Date | 2008/03/03 |
Assessor(s) | V.L. Williams & D. Raimondo |
Justification | A naturally rare species in South Africa, with probably fewer than 1 000 mature plants. No bark harvesting or population decline has been observed. The species hasn't been assessed globally, but it is recorded as being Critically Endangered in Zimbabwe due to habitat destruction by forestry plantations. The South African population is unlikely to be significantly affected by dispersal from other regional subpopulations, especially since the natural habitat is highly fragmented, and the national assessment is not downgraded. |
Distribution |
Endemism | Not endemic to South Africa |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga |
Range | Eastern Cape through KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces and into Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Scarp Forest, Northern Mistbelt Forest, Northern Afrotemperate Forest |
Description | Scarp and mistbelt forest. |
Threats |
| The only report of Ocotea kenyensis being vulnerable to over-exploitation from the medicinal plant trade is from Cunningham (1988). The report classifies it as "vulnerable and declining" - i.e. a species with wild populations that are subject to localised over-exploitation and appear to be declining outside conserved areas, but which are protected within conserved areas. In KwaZulu-Natal, the species is only known in one locality, namely the protected Ngome Forest. Hence, O. kenyensis is not threatened by bark collection in KwaZulu-Natal. It may, however, be affected by bark collecting in other areas of its limited distribution - but none have been reported thus far. Mervyn Lotter has observed it in 5.6% of his plots in Mpumalanga, but there were no signs of harvesting (pers. comm., 2008). At the Medicinal Plant Red List Workshop (14-15 January 2008, SANBI, Durban), it was estimated that there were probably <1 000 mature plants in South Africa i.e. it is naturally rare and sparse, but no bark harvesting or decline has been noted and therefore the species does not qualify as NT or VU. Any bark harvesting that does occur is probably opportunistic. |
Population |
This species is never common, with no more than 10 mature individuals in a subpopulation (J.E. Burrows, pers. obs.). Very rare in KwaZulu-Natal, with a disjunct distribution and low abundance (Scott-Shaw 1999).
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Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Ocotea kenyensis (Chiov.) Robyns & R.Wilczek | VU | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Ocotea kenyensis (Chiov.) Robyns & R.Wilczek | VU | Scott-Shaw (1999) | | Ocotea kenyensis (Chiov.) Robyns & R.Wilczek | Rare | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Ocotea kenyensis (Chiov.) Robyns & R.Wilczek | Rare | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography |
Boon, R. 2010. Pooley's Trees of eastern South Africa. Flora and Fauna Publications Trust, Durban.
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.
Hyde, M.A. and Wursten, B. 2008. Flora of Zimbabwe: Tridactyle tridentata. www.zimbabweflora.co.zw. Downloaded on 15 January 2008.
Loffler, L. and Loffler, P. 2005. Swaziland Tree Atlas, including selected shrubs and climbers. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 35:1-196. SABONET, 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.
Schmidt, E., Lotter, M. and McCleland, W. 2002. Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park. Jacana, Johannesburg.
Scott-Shaw, C.R. 1999. Rare and threatened plants of KwaZulu-Natal and neighbouring regions. KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service, Pietermaritzburg.
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Citation |
| Williams, V.L. & Raimondo, D. 2008. Ocotea kenyensis (Chiov.) Robyns & R.Wilczek. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/15 |
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