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Scientific Name | Eriospermum spirale Schult. |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | RUSCACEAE |
Synonyms | Eriospermum confertum Baker, Eriospermum confertum Baker var. aureum A.V.Duthie |
Common Names | Bottervaatjie (a) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2007/04/28 |
Assessor(s) | N.A. Helme & D. Raimondo |
Justification | EOO 12 000 km² and known from less than 10 locations. Occurs only on clay or sand flats, and is known from widely disjunct locations between Stellenbosch and Vanrhynsdorp. It is highly threatened throughout its range by agriculture and urban expansion. Over 50% of historical locations have been lost to urban development and crop cultivation over the past 120 years, loss is continuing. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | Cape Flats to Vanrhynsdorp. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Saldanha Flats Strandveld, Swartland Shale Renosterveld, Swartland Granite Renosterveld, Swartland Silcrete Renosterveld, Boland Granite Fynbos, Atlantis Sand Fynbos, Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos, Swartland Alluvium Fynbos, Breede Alluvium Fynbos |
Description | Sandy or clay flats. |
Threats |
| Subpopulations in the southern part of this species' range are nearly all extinct due to habitat loss to urban expansion, and one subpopulation remains on a small fragment which is an urban reserve. Subpopulations on the Vredenburg Peninsula are declining due to ongoing coastal and industrial development. In the Swartland area most lowland habitat has been converted to wheat fields, and only small fragments of natural vegetation remains. Habitat continues to be lost to further agricultural expansion, particularly in the northern areas around Hopefield and Vanrhynsdorp. |
Population |
Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Eriospermum spirale Schult. | VU B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
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.
Perry, P.L. 1994. A revision of the genus Eriospermum (Eriospermaceae) Contributions from the Bolus Herbarium 17:1-320.
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 |
| Helme, N.A. & Raimondo, D. 2007. Eriospermum spirale Schult. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14 |
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