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Scientific Name | Afroaster laevigatus (Sond.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | ASTERACEAE |
Synonyms | Aster laevigatus (Sond.) Kuntze, Diplopappus laevigatus Sond. |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v) |
Assessment Date | 2016/01/21 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden & W. Berrington |
Justification | A highly localized species with an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 10 km², known from two locations and declining due to ongoing habitat degradation as well as competition from alien invasive plants. It is therefore listed as Endangered under criterion B. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape |
Range | This species is found in Van Stadens Mountain. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Kouga Sandstone Fynbos |
Description | Plants grow in grassy montane fynbos on sandstone slopes. |
Threats |
| This species has lost much of its habitat to timber plantations in the past. Plantations are no longer expanding. Remaining habitat however continues to be degraded by spreading, unmanaged alien invasive plants. It is also likely to have been impacted by road construction and infrastructure development around radio masts and cellular towers in the past. |
Population |
A very rare and seldom recorded species, it appears to flower only in response to fire (W. Berrington pers. obs.). It is extremely abundant after fires, with subpopulations consisting of thousands of plants. Two subpopulations have been recently recorded on the Van Stadens Mountains, one a small subpopulation in a road verge in plantations, the second a large subpopulation in Lady's Slipper Nature Reserve on the summit of the Van Staden's Mountains.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Afroaster laevigatus (Sond.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt | EN B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v) | 2017.1 | | Afroaster laevigatus (Sond.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt | VU D2 | 2014.1 | | Aster laevigatus (Sond.) Kuntze | VU D2 | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Aster laevigatus (Sond.) Kuntze | VU D2 | Victor (2002) | | Aster laevigatus (Sond.) Kuntze | Indeterminate | 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.
Lippert, W. 1973. Revision der gattung Aster in Afrika. Mitteilungen der Botanischen Staatssammlung München 11:153-258.
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.
Victor, J.E. 2002. South Africa. In: J.S. Golding (ed), Southern African plant Red Data Lists. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 14 (pp. 93-120), SABONET, Pretoria.
Victor, J.E. and Dold, A.P. 2003. Threatened plants of the Albany Centre of Floristic Endemism, South Africa. South African Journal of Science 99:437-446.
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Citation |
| von Staden, L. & Berrington, W. 2016. Afroaster laevigatus (Sond.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/13 |
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