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Scientific Name | Elaeodendron croceum (Thunb.) DC. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | CELASTRACEAE |
Synonyms | Cassine crocea (Thunb.) Kuntze, Cassine papillosa (Hochst.) Kuntze, Crocoxylon croceum (Thunb.) N.Robson, Elaeodendron capense Eckl. & Zeyh., Elaeodendron papillosum Hochst., Ilex crocea Thunb. |
Common Names | Common Saffron (e), Forest Saffron (e), Geelhout (a), Geelhoutboom (a), Gewone Saffraan (a), Ikhukhuze (z), Ikhukhuzi (x), Isinama (z), Isithundu (z), Opregtesaffraan (a), Opregtesaffraanhout (a), Regtesaffraan (a), Regtesaffraanhout (a), Saffraanhout (a), Saffron (e), Saffron Wood (e), Tshibvukahalwa (v), Umbomvane (x), Umbovana (x), Umbovane (z), Umbovane (x), Ummakhankatha (x), Usahlulamanye (z), Usehlulamanye (z), Yellow Wood (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Least Concern |
Assessment Date | 2016/06/28 |
Assessor(s) | C.J. Geldenhuys & L. von Staden |
Justification | Elaeodendron croceum is a widespread and common species. It is declining in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal due to bark harvesting for traditional medicinal use, but is not yet in danger of extinction. |
Distribution |
Endemism | Not endemic to South Africa |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga |
Range | This species is widespread across eastern South Africa. It is common in coastal forests from Maputaland in KwaZulu-Natal to the mountains of the southern Cape. A few isolated subpopulations occur on the Mpumalanga and Limpopo Drakensberg escarpment and the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Forest |
Description | it occurs in the margins of coastal and montane forests. |
Threats |
| The bark of this tree is poisonous, but is highly prized for its medicinal and magical properties (Boon 2010). It is heavily exploited in parts of its range. Field observations in the southern Cape also noted competition from alien invasive plants as a minor threat. |
Population |
This species is abundant in the forests of the southern Cape (Archer and Van Wyk 1998).
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Elaeodendron croceum (Thunb.) DC. | Declining | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Elaeodendron croceum (Thunb.) DC. | Not Threatened | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Cassine crocea (Thunb.) Kuntze | Indeterminate | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography |
Archer, R.H. and van Wyk, A.E. 1998. A taxonomic revision of Elaeodendron Jacq. (Cassinoideae: Celastraceae) in Africa. South African Journal of Botany 64(2):93-109.
Boon, R. 2010. Pooley's Trees of eastern South Africa. Flora and Fauna Publications Trust, Durban.
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.
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.
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Citation |
| Geldenhuys, C.J. & von Staden, L. 2016. Elaeodendron croceum (Thunb.) DC. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14 |
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