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Scientific Name | Freesia laxa (Thunb.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Least Concern |
Assessment Date | 2023/05/30 |
Assessor(s) | N.N. Mhlongo, L. von Staden & T. Patel |
Distribution |
Endemism | Not endemic to South Africa |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga |
Range | This species is widely distributed along the eastern seaboard of southern Africa from east of Port Elizabeth in South Africa through the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Midlands to Mpumalanga and Eswatini. It also occurs in southern Mozambique, Zambia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, western Kenya, eastern Uganda and the Imatong Mountains in South Sudan. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Grassland, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, Savanna |
Description | It occurs in small colonies in coarse sandy soil in coastal scrub and inland on the edges of bush and forest; often in rocky situations. |
Threats |
| While this species is widespread, it has lost of habitat within South Africa from expanding human settlements, mining, forestry plantations and clearing of indigenous forests for agriculture. The habitat has also been degraded due to too frequent fires and severe overgrazing in some parts of this species' range in South Africa. |
Population |
This species is widespread and abundant, occurring in more than 100 subpopulations across eastern southern Africa. The population is stable and not declining.
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Population trend | Stable |
Bibliography |
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2020. Iridaceae of southern Africa. Strelitzia 42. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
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Citation |
| Mhlongo, N.N., von Staden, L. & Patel, T. 2023. Freesia laxa (Thunb.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/19 |
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