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Scientific Name | Dierama pallidum Hilliard |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2007/09/28 |
Assessor(s) | C.R. Scott-Shaw & L. von Staden |
Justification | It has an extremely restricted range (EOO 832 km²), persisting at six to 10 locations in one of the most highly transformed areas of KwaZulu-Natal. More than 50% of the habitat is already transformed, but over a period longer than three generations. There is a severe, continuing decline in the habitat as a result of urban expansion, woody encroachment of smaller grassland fragments, too frequent fire and overgrazing in larger grassland patches. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | KwaZulu-Natal |
Range | Pietermaritzburg to Durban and Valley of a Thousand Hills. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld, Midlands Mistbelt Grassland, Moist Coast Hinterland Grassland, Dry Coast Hinterland Grassland |
Description | Open grassland on stony slopes, 300-900 m. |
Threats |
| Grassland transformation by agriculture, forestry, and urban expansion has severely reduced the extent and quality of suitable habitat (Scott-Shaw 1999).
Within the known range of this species, grasslands were already 60% transformed in 1996 (calculated using GIS, NLC 1996 and Vegmap 2006), but with the rapid urban expansion of Pietermaritzburg and Durban in the last 10 years, this figure is probably now much higher.
Too frequent fires and severe overgrazing are serious threats to the larger remaining grassland fragments, while smaller fragments are being transformed by woody encroachment because of a lack of fire. |
Population |
Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Dierama pallidum Hilliard | VU B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Dierama pallidum Hilliard | VU | Scott-Shaw (1999) | | Dierama pallidum Hilliard | Vulnerable | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | |
Bibliography |
Hilliard, O.M. and Burtt, B.L. 1991. Dierama: The hairbells of Africa. Acorn Books, Johannesburg and London.
Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African National Botanical 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.
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 |
| Scott-Shaw, C.R. & von Staden, L. 2007. Dierama pallidum Hilliard. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14 |
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