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Scientific Name | Erica patens Andrews |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | ERICACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered D |
Assessment Date | 2008/04/30 |
Assessor(s) | R.C. Turner & N.A. Helme |
Justification | An extremely localized species, recently re-discovered after not being seen for nearly 200 years. One population of around 250 plants is restricted to an area of 1500 m². A slow growing, long-lived reseeder that is potentially threatened by too frequent fire and expanding alien pine and hakea infestations of its habitat. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | Groenlandberg Mountains above Elgin. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos |
Description | Base of vertical, south-facing cliffs on steep, peaty rock ledges. |
Threats |
| This is a very slow growing, long-lived reseeder and therefore potentially threatened by an increasing fire frequency, which is becoming a problem over much of the Western Cape. Alien invasive pine and hakeas are present about 2 km from the population and could potentially spread onto the site if not controlled. |
Population |
Known only from one population of approximately 250 plants in area of 60m x 25m (1500 m²). Plants are single-stemmed, bushy, and likely to be long-lived. About 50 fire-escaped adult plants are up to 1.8m tall, while juvenile plants that are ±5 years old are also present in a recently burnt area. These plants are still far from reaching reproductive maturity.
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Population trend | Stable |
Notes |
| Painted for Andrews' Collected Engravings of Heaths circa 1810, and thought to be a European Garden Hybrid as no wild herbarium specimens had ever been collected (See Flora Capensis 4, Bolus et al. 1909). Seed was collected by Niven at the turn of the 18th Century, sent to England where it was grown in a conservatory, and then painted by Andrews. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Erica patens Andrews | EN D | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Bolus, H., Guthrie, F. and Brown, N.E. 1909. Ericaceae. In: W.T. Thiselton-Dyer (ed). Flora Capensis IV Section I (Vacciniaceae to Gentianeae):2-418. Lovell Reeve & Co., Ltd., London.
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 |
| Turner, R.C. & Helme, N.A. 2008. Erica patens Andrews. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14 |
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