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Scientific Name | Aspidonepsis shebae Nicholas & Goyder |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | APOCYNACEAE |
Common Names | Mount Sheba Suncup (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable D2 |
Assessment Date | 2015/04/13 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden, M. Lötter & S.P. Bester |
Justification | A rare and very localized species, known from five locations and potentially threatened by habitat loss and degradation as well as competition from alien invasive plants. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Mpumalanga |
Range | Mpumalanga Drakensberg upper escarpment between Mount Sheba and Mauchsberg, with a disjunct record from the mountains between Barberton and Swaziland. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Long Tom Pass Montane Grassland, Barberton Montane Grassland, Rand Highveld Grassland |
Description | High altitude montane grassland, 1400-2100 m. |
Threats |
| This species has lost some habitat to timber plantations in the past, and at least one known subpopulation occurs within a firebreak between a road and plantations. Plantations are however no longer expanding in this area and is not a serious ongoing threat. This species is however vulnerable to alien invasive plants, especially unmanaged escaping pine seedlings, that are spreading into its habitat in some areas. Mining is also a potential threat, with mining applications pending within the area where it occurs. |
Population |
This species is rare and localized to the highest summit areas of the Mpumalanga Drakensberg Escarpment. It is known from only five locations, three of these are in small grassland fragments among timber plantations, or bordering on plantation areas.
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Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Aspidonepsis shebae Nicholas & Goyder | VU D2 | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Aspidonepsis shebae Nicholas & Goyder | Vulnerable | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | |
Bibliography |
Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Nicholas, A. and Goyder, D.J. 1992. Aspidonepsis (Asclepiadaceae), a new southern African genus. Bothalia 22(1):23-35.
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 |
| von Staden, L., Lötter, M. & Bester, S.P. 2015. Aspidonepsis shebae Nicholas & Goyder. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/08/29 |
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