| Scientific Name | Clivia caulescens R.A.Dyer | Higher Classification | Monocotyledons | Family | AMARYLLIDACEAE |
National Status | Status and Criteria | Near Threatened A3d | Assessment Date | 2022/08/19 | Assessor(s) | V.L. Williams, D. Raimondo, N.R. Crouch, A.B. Cunningham, C.R. Scott-Shaw, M. Lötter & A.M. Ngwenya | Justification | The population is expected to decline by 25% in the next 90 years (generation length suspected to be 30 years) due to future threats that include persistent and increased harvesting pressures from both the medicinal plant and horticultural trades. |
Distribution | Endemism | Not endemic to South Africa | Provincial distribution | Limpopo, Mpumalanga | Range | This species occurs in the eastern parts of Mpumalanga and the Limpopo province extending into Swaziland. |
Habitat and Ecology | Major system | Terrestrial | Major habitats | Forest | Description | Plants grow in forest patches and forest margins. |
Threats | | Threatened by harvesting for the traditional medicine trade. Traders do not distinguish between Clivia species and all species are therefore at risk of over-exploitation. The primary factor determining which species is sold on a particular day in the market relates to where a harvester has managed to find subpopulations to exploit. Five Clivia species found in South Africa are harvested for traditional medicine and have been recorded in all the major medicinal plant markets in South Africa. Clivia miniata and C. nobilis were the most frequently referenced species in the literature, but C. miniata, C. caulescens and C. gardenii are the most prevalent in the markets (note: some species identified as C. gardenii may be the recently described C. robusta). The whole plant (except for the flowers) is used and the tops of the leaves are typically cut off, thereby making it difficult to distinguish between the species. Cunningham (1988) estimated that 397 bags (50kg-size) were sold annually by 54 traders, which probably represented a quarter of the total quantity sold in the region at the time. In 2001, 26% of the Faraday Market traders in Johannesburg sold Clivia spp. (ranked thirteenth in order of prevalence), and the volume present in the market at the time of the two week survey was equivalent to 11 bags (50 kg-size) (Williams 2003). The volume purchased annually by traders in Faraday was conservatively estimated to be at least 200 bags. However, inconsistent availability of the species has been noted by the traders. One quarter of the Faraday traders selling clivias also noted that it was scarce and increasingly difficult to obtain. In early November 2004, for example, none of the traders were able to acquire stock. By late November, a consignment of mature plants harvested in Swaziland (probably C. caulescens) was finally delivered. The prevalence and popularity of the genus in other markets is reportedly high. Assessments for Mpumalanga (Mander 1997) and KwaZulu-Natal (Mander 1998) ranked Clivia spp. as being in the top 10 of the most frequently demanded plants. On the Witwatersrand in 1994, the genus was sold by 66% of the muthi shops and was also ranked thirteenth out of more than 450 species in terms of its occurrence in the shops (Williams et al. 2000, Williams 2007). There seems to be a preference by traders for younger and smaller individuals. Older and larger plants were perceived as having more water in them and were thus 'weaker' because of the diluted power - however, most traders will buy whatever they can get due to its popularity (V.L. Williams, pers. obs.). More than 2000 Clivia caulescens stems were confiscated at one time in Mpumalanga in 2007 (M. Lötter, pers. comm., 2008). In summary, the bulk harvesting of clivias for the medicinal plant trade is a nationally acknowledged threat to the genus. Clivias (especially C. miniata and more recently C. caulescens) are traded extensively and over-harvesting is a threat to the persistence of populations in the wild. Furthermore, high volumes in trade, plant scarcities and shortages have been reported by traders in several regional medicinal plant markets. In Swaziland, the species is classed as DD and the illegal trade for medicinal and horticultural purposes is an acknowledged threat there (Dlamini and Dlamini 2002). The larger distribution range of C. caulescens implies that it less threatened by muthi harvesting than the other species of Clivia. Furthermore, C. caulescens tends to coppice, and the method of harvesting with a panga seems to encourage coppicing and is not as destructive as the harvesting of the other Clivia species (M. Lötter, pers. comm., 2008). Clivia caulescens has a long caudex, and the stems are usually cut down leaving bits of the plant and its roots behind. The species produces few seeds, and seed production rates are, therefore, being affected by harvesting. At this point, C. caulescens is not considered Vulnerable, but it may become this way in the future. Hence a Near Threatened A3 assessment was recommended by the participants at the Medicinal Plant Red List Workshop (14-15 January 2008, Durban) (V.L. Williams, D. Raimondo, N.R. Crouch, A.B. Cunningham, R. Scott-Shaw, M. Lötter and M. Ngwenya). The population is expected to decline by at least 25% in the next 60 years. |
Population | Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation | | It is conserved in the following reserve: Songimvelo Reserve, Blyde Rivier, Long Tom, Buffelskloof and Mariepskop. |
Notes | | Clivias are among the slowest growing of all the amaryllids, and mature plants are thought to be 100 or more years old (J.E. Victor, pers. comm., 2005). Plants flower in late August, September and October (P. Vorster, pers. comm.). |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Clivia caulescens R.A.Dyer | NT A3d | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Clivia caulescens R.A.Dyer | Lower Risk - Least Concern | Victor (2002) | | Clivia caulescens R.A.Dyer | Not Threatened | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Clivia caulescens R.A.Dyer | Rare | Hall et al. (1980) | |
Bibliography | Crouch, N., Ndlovu, E., Mullholland, D.A. and Pohl, T.L. 2003. The genus Clivia in ethnomedicine: usage, bioactivity and phytochemistry. Clivia Yearbook 5.
Dlamini, T.S. and Dlamini, G.M. 2002. Swaziland. In: J.S. Golding (ed), Southern African plant red data lists (pp. 121-134), Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 14.
Dyer, R.A. 1943. Clivia caulescens. Flowering Plants of Africa 23:t. 891.
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.
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.
Vorster, P.J. 1994. Clivia nobilis. Flowering Plants of Africa 53:70-74.
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Citation | | Williams, V.L., Raimondo, D., Crouch, N.R., Cunningham, A.B., Scott-Shaw, C.R., Lötter, M. & Ngwenya, A.M. 2022. Clivia caulescens R.A.Dyer. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/09 |
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