| Scientific Name | Cryptocarya latifolia Sond. | Higher Classification | Dicotyledons | Family | LAURACEAE | Common Names | Bastard Stinkwood (e), Baster-stinkhout (a), Basterswartstinkhout (a), Basterswartysterhout (a), Breëblaarkweper (a), Breëblaar-kweper (a), Broad-leaved Laurel (e), Broad-leaved Quince (e), Broad-leaved Wild-quince (e), Pondo-kweper (a), Umdlangwenya (z), Umgxaleba (x), Umgxobothi (x), Umhlangwenya (z), Umkhondweni (z), Umncatyana (x), Umthongwa (x), Umthongwane (x), Umthungwa (z), Umthungwa (x), Wild Quince (e), Wildekweper (a) |
National Status | Status and Criteria | Least Concern | Assessment Date | 2022/07/21 | Assessor(s) | V.L. Williams, D. Raimondo, N.R. Crouch, A.B. Cunningham, C.R. Scott-Shaw, M. Lötter & A.M. Ngwenya | Justification | Population decline over the last three generations (120 years) is estimated to be ± 20%, due to bark harvesting and habitat destruction. The decline is expected to continue. However, the species is considered to be resilient and survives in some degraded water courses, and population reduction is not expected to exceed 30% in three generations. It is therefore listed as Least Concern. |
Distribution | Endemism | South African endemic | Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal | Range | This species is found in the KwaZulu Natal and Eastern Cape provinces, where it occurs from Umtamvuna Nature Reserve to Port St Johns and Cwebe Forest. |
Habitat and Ecology | Major system | Terrestrial | Major habitats | Forest | Description | It grow in evergreen forests on sandstones along streams and rivers, coastal forests and coastal plateaus. |
Threats | | The bark of the Cryptocarya spp. is utilized in traditional medicine and is available in the medicinal plant markets of Durban and Johannesburg (V.L. Williams, pers. comm., 2008). The species is frequently used interchangeably with Cryptocarya myrtifolia and C. woodii. Cunningham (1988) classified it as 'declining' in KwaZulu-Natal due to the destruction of wild populations by harvesters. It was estimated that 228 bags (50kg-size) of Cryptocarya spp. (C. latifolia and C. myrtifolia) were sold annually by 54 herb-traders in the Durban region. Williams (2007) found that 62% of Witwatersrand muthi shops in 1994 and 2% of the Faraday market street traders in 2001 sold Cryptocarya spp. Destructive bark harvesting has been observed in various KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape forests (N.R. Crouch and R. Scott-Shaw, pers. comm., 2008).
As Cryptocarya spp. contains various aromatic compounds, it has become a recent substitute for the now-scarce Ocotea bullata. Therefore, the exploitation of C. latifolia is a current consequence of the past exploitation of O. bullata (N.R. Crouch, pers. comm., 2008).
It was estimated by participants at the Red List workshop (Durban, January 2008), that population decline in many of the forests over 120 years has been less than 20% (assuming a generation length of 40 years). However, at least 20% of the forests no longer exist due to habitat destruction and the loss of sub-populations will likely continue in the Transkei region of the Eastern Cape in the future. However, the species' ability to survive in degraded water courses mitigates its assessment as NT or VU. It is also considered "difficult to get rid of", and it shows good coppicing ability. |
Population | Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Cryptocarya latifolia Sond. | Declining | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography | Boon, R. 2010. Pooley's Trees of eastern South Africa. Flora and Fauna Publications Trust, Durban.
Bredenkamp, C.L. 2019. A flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Strelitzia 41. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
Cunningham, A.B. 1988. An investigation of the herbal medicine trade in Natal/KwaZulu. Investigational Report No. 29. Institute of Natural Resources, Pietermaritzburg.
Palmer, E. and Pitman, N. 1972. Trees of southern Africa covering all known indigenous species in the Republic of South Africa, South-West Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. Volume 2. A.A.Balkema, Cape Town.
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.
Williams, V.L. 2007. The design of a risk assessment model to determine the impact of the herbal medicine trade on the Witwatersrand on resources of indigenous plant species. Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
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Citation | | Williams, V.L., Raimondo, D., Crouch, N.R., Cunningham, A.B., Scott-Shaw, C.R., Lötter, M. & Ngwenya, A.M. 2022. Cryptocarya latifolia Sond. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/13 |
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