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Scientific Name | Aristea pauciflora Wolley-Dod |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Critically Endangered B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2021/02/25 |
Assessor(s) | P. Goldblatt, N.A. Helme & L. von Staden |
Justification | This rare local endemic has an extent of occurrence of 62 km². One, possibly two remaining locations continue to decline due to ongoing habitat loss and degradation. It is therefore listed as Critically Endangered under criterion B. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | This species is endemic to the Cape Peninsula, Western Cape. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Peninsula Shale Fynbos, Peninsula Granite Fynbos |
Description | It occurs on clay and granite lower slopes. |
Threats |
| This species is localized within Critically Endangered Peninsula Granite Fynbos, of which less than 30% remains intact. Three out of five subpopulations known through historical records have been lost to urban expansion, and a fourth occurs at a site earmarked for development (N.A. Helme pers. comm. 2013). The only other known subpopulation needs to be relocated, and could possibly still survive, but is also likely to be threatened by habitat degradation due to too frequent fire, and competition from alien invasive plants. |
Population |
This species is a rarely collected and poorly known Cape Peninsula endemic. It can be easily confused with the common Aristea simplex, and may be overlooked. Most records are old, and most known subpopulations have been lost to urban expansion (P. Goldblatt pers. comm.). It formerly occurred at Hout Bay, Bergvliet, Steenberg, and Constantia Nek. It was last observed on Constantia Nek several years ago, where there were only a few plants. This site is now to be developed (N.A. Helme pers. comm. 2013). A subpopulation that was recorded on the slopes on Devil's Peak in the 1990s may still survive. Surveys are urgently needed to determine whether any other subpopulations remain.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Aristea pauciflora Wolley-Dod | CR B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | 2014.1 | | Aristea pauciflora Wolley-Dod | Data Deficient (Taxonomically Problematic) | 2013.1 | | Aristea pauciflora Wolley-Dod | Data Deficient (Taxonomically Problematic) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
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.
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2020. Iridaceae of southern Africa. Strelitzia 42. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
Helme, N.A. and Trinder-Smith, T.H. 2006. The endemic flora of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. South African Journal of Botany 72(2):205-210.
Manning, J.C. and Goldblatt, P. 2012. Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 1: The Core Cape Flora. Strelitzia 29. South African National Biodiversity 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.
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Citation |
| Goldblatt, P., Helme, N.A. & von Staden, L. 2021. Aristea pauciflora Wolley-Dod. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14 |
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