| Scientific Name | Pentameris elegans (Nees) Steud. | Higher Classification | Monocotyledons | Family | POACEAE | Synonyms | Danthonia elegans Nees, Pentaschistis elegans (Nees) Stapf |
National Status | Status and Criteria | Critically Endangered B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) | Assessment Date | 2007/05/18 | Assessor(s) | J.E. Victor, L. Fish & D. Raimondo | Justification | EOO 41 km², AOO <5 km², known from a collection in 1943 and another in 1989, both from the Ratel River area on the Agulhas Plain. Much of its habitat has been transformed to crop cultivation and is infested by invasive alien acacias. A recent search at the 1989 location failed to relocate it. However there is still suitable habitat at Ratel River, and it is likely that some wild plants still remain. |
Distribution | Endemism | South African endemic | Provincial distribution | Western Cape | Range | Bredasdorp. |
Habitat and Ecology | Major system | Terrestrial | Major habitats | Elim Ferricrete Fynbos, Agulhas Sand Fynbos | Description | Sand over laterite. |
Threats | | This species' habitat has been extensively transformed for crop cultivation in the past, and the only two locations where it has been previously collected are now densely invaded by alien invasive acacias, and despite searches, no remaining individuals could be found. The population could however still regenerate if aliens are cleared and there are still small fragments of suitable habitat remaining that have not yet been searched. |
Population | Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Pentaschistis elegans (Nees) Stapf | CR B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) | 2012.1 | | Pentaschistis elegans (Nees) Stapf | CR B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Pentaschistis elegans (Nees) Stapf | Rare | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | |
Bibliography | 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.
Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Linder, H.P. and Ellis, R.P. 1990. A revision of Pentaschistis (Arundineae: Poaceae). Contributions from the Bolus Herbarium 12:1-124.
Linder, H.P., Baeza, M., Barker, N.P., Galley, C., Humphreys, A.M., Lloyd, K.M., Orlovich, D.A., Pirie, M.D., Simon, B.K., Walsh, N. and Verboom, G.A. 2010. A generic classification of the Danthonioideae (Poaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 97(3):306-364.
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 | | Victor, J.E., Fish, L. & Raimondo, D. 2007. Pentameris elegans (Nees) Steud. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14 |
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