Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants

Taxonomy

Scientific Name

Erica sociorum L.Bolus

Higher Classification

Dicotyledons

Family

ERICACEAE

National Status

Status and Criteria

Critically Endangered B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v); C2a(i,ii); D

Assessment Date

2007/02/11

Assessor(s)

R.C. Turner & E.G.H. Oliver

Justification

The most localized of all Cape Peninsula endemic Ericas. About 50 plants occur at a single location (EOO and AOO 0.1 kmÂ²) and numbers are declining due to alien pine invasion of the habitat.

Distribution

Endemism

South African endemic

Provincial distribution

Western Cape

Range

Cape Peninsula, Noordhoek Peak.

Habitat and Ecology

Major system

Terrestrial

Major habitats

Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos

Description

Fynbos, on steep, peaty, south-facing rock ledges and cliff faces.

Threats

The only known location for this species has been densely invaded by alien invasive pines. Although most of the Cape Peninsula has now been cleared of alien plants, ongoing management and clearing to prevent reinvasions is not effective everywhere and alien plants are likely to remain a continuing threat.

Population

Only one subpopulation of about 50 plants is known.

Population trend

Decreasing

Assessment History

Taxon assessed	Status and Criteria	Citation/Red List version
Erica sociorum L.Bolus	CR B1ab(iii); D	Raimondo et al. (2009)
Erica sociorum L.Bolus	Endangered	Hilton-Taylor (1996)
Erica sociorum L.Bolus	Endangered	Hall et al. (1980)

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.

Hall, A.V., De Winter, M., De Winter, B. and Van Oosterhout, S.A.M. 1980. Threatened plants of southern Africa. South African National Scienctific Programmes Report 45. CSIR, 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.

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.

Schumann, D., Kirsten, G. and Oliver, E.G.H. 1992. Ericas of South Africa. Fernwood Press, Cape Town.

Citation

Turner, R.C. & Oliver, E.G.H. 2007. Erica sociorum L.Bolus. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14

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