Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants

Taxonomy

Scientific Name

Disa sankeyi Rolfe

Higher Classification

Monocotyledons

Family

ORCHIDACEAE

Synonyms

Disa basutorum Kraenzl. (later homonym), not of Schltr. (1895)

National Status

Status and Criteria

Rare

Assessment Date

2015/07/17

Assessor(s)

H. Mtshali & L. von Staden

Justification

A widespread (EOO 11 583 kmÂ²), but rare and localized species. Most of its habitat is protected, and it is not in danger of extinction.

Distribution

Endemism

Not endemic to South Africa

Provincial distribution

Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal

Range

Drakensberg Mountain Range, from the Eastern Cape through Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal to the eastern Free State.

Habitat and Ecology

Major system

Terrestrial

Major habitats

East Griqualand Grassland, Lesotho Highland Basalt Grassland, uKhahlamba Basalt Grassland, Southern Drakensberg Highland Grassland

Description

Basalt or sandstone ridges and slopes in damp to dry grassland, 2400-3000 m.

Threats

Subpopulations in the Eastern Cape are potentially threatened by habitat loss and degradation due to overgrazing, crop cultivation and timber plantations. The majority of its habitat in KwaZulu-Natal is well-protected, and it is unlikely to decline to extinction.

Population

Disa sankeyi is a rare, localized species, occurring as scattered, small subpopulations across the Drakensberg. It is possibly declining in places such as the Eastern Cape, but subpopulations in KwaZulu-Natal are stable, and it is not suspected to be in danger of extinction.

Population trend

Stable

Assessment History

Taxon assessed	Status and Criteria	Citation/Red List version
Disa sankeyi Rolfe	Rare	Raimondo et al. (2009)
Disa sankeyi Rolfe	Lower Risk - Least Concern	Victor (2002)
Disa sankeyi Rolfe	Rare	Hilton-Taylor (1996)
Disa sankeyi Rolfe	Uncertain	Hall et al. (1980)
Disa basutorum Kraenzl. (later homonym), not of Schltr. (1895)	Uncertain	Hall et al. (1980)

Bibliography

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.

Johnson, S. and Bytebier, B. 2015. Orchids of South Africa: A field guide. Struik Nature, Cape Town.

Linder, H.P. 1981. Taxonomic studies in the Disinae (Orchidaceae). IV. A revision of Disa Berg. sect. Micranthae Lindl. Bulletin du Jardin Botanique National de Belgique 51(3/4):255-346.

Linder, H.P. and Kurzweil, H. 1999. Orchids of southern Africa. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam.

Pooley, E. 2003. Mountain flowers: a field guide to the flora of the Drakensberg and Lesotho. Natal Flora Publications Trust, Durban.

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.

Rolfe, R.A. 1912. Orchideae. In: W.T. Thiselton-Dyer (ed). Flora Capensis V Section III (Hydrocharideae to Scitamineae):3-313. L. Reeve & Co., Ltd., Ashford.

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.

Citation

Mtshali, H. & von Staden, L. 2015. Disa sankeyi Rolfe. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14

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