|
Scientific Name | Riocreuxia flanaganii Schltr. var. alexandrina H.E.Huber |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | APOCYNACEAE |
Synonyms | Ceropegia flanaganii Schltr. var. alexandrina H.Huber, Riocreuxia alexandrina (H.Huber) R.A.Dyer, Riocreuxia flanaganii Schltr. subsp. alexandrina (H.Huber) R.A.Dyer |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Critically Endangered D |
Assessment Date | 2015/05/11 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden, G. Grieve & H. Mtshali |
Justification | A rare, localized taxon, known historically from an area of about 11 km². Since almost none of its grassland habitat remains intact, it was thought to be possibly extinct until a small subpopulation of less than 50 mature individuals were rediscovered by volunteers of the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) Programme in 2013. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | KwaZulu-Natal |
Range | Umzinto district. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Moist Coast Hinterland Grassland |
Description | Scrambler over other vegetation on moist slopes in open grassland. |
Threats |
| This taxon's distribution range falls within KwaZulu-Natal's most productive and valuable agricultural land (C.R. Scott-Shaw pers. comm.), and critically little grasslands remain, mostly due to sugarcane farming and forestry plantations (Scott-Shaw 1999). Habitat loss and degradation continues, particularly due to expanding rural settlements, overgrazing, inappropriate fire management, and spreading alien invasive plants. The only confirmed remaining subpopulation occurs in a small nature reserve, representing probably the last remaining undisturbed Ngongoni Grassland within this taxon's known range, and is dependent on ongoing good management of the grassland vegetation as well as clearing of alien invasive plants. |
Population |
This taxon is historically known from only two collections, both from the same locality, Dumisa Siding, north-west of Umzinto in southern KwaZulu-Natal, where it was last recorded in 1916. No intact grasslands remain in this area, and this subpopulation is presumed extinct.
Scott-Shaw (1999) indicates that this taxon was last seen in 1970, but no further details of this subpopulation are known. There were also unconfirmed reports of a subpopulation found in a very degraded site near the type locality in 2007. In 2013, a small population of fewer than 50 individuals were found in a small nature reserve about 15 km from the type locality, and this is currently the only known remaining subpopulation. Its habitat is in good condition and it is not suspected to be declining.
|
Population trend | Unknown |
Conservation |
| Protected in the Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Riocreuxia flanaganii Schltr. var. alexandrina H.E.Huber | CR D | 2015.1 | | Riocreuxia alexandrina (H.Huber) R.A.Dyer | Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Riocreuxia alexandrina (H.Huber) R.A.Dyer | VU D2 | Scott-Shaw (1999) | | Riocreuxia alexandrina (H.Huber) R.A.Dyer | Indeterminate | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | |
Bibliography |
Dyer, R.A. 1979. ASCLEPIADACEAE: The Riocreuxia flanaganii complex. Bothalia 12(4):632.
Dyer, R.A. 1980. Brachystelma, Ceropegia and Riocreuxia. In: O.A. Leistner (ed). Flora of Southern Africa 27 Part 4:1-88. Botanical Research Institute, Pretoria.
Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Masinde, P.S. 2005. A revision of the African genus Riocreuxia Decne. (Apocynaceae:Asclepiadiodeae-Ceropegieae). Kew Bulletin 60(3):401-434.
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.
Scott-Shaw, C.R. 1999. Rare and threatened plants of KwaZulu-Natal and neighbouring regions. KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service, Pietermaritzburg.
|
Citation |
| von Staden, L., Grieve, G. & Mtshali, H. 2015. Riocreuxia flanaganii Schltr. var. alexandrina H.E.Huber. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/24 |
Comment on this assessment
