Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants

Taxonomy

Scientific Name

Zeuxine africana Rchb.f.

Higher Classification

Monocotyledons

Family

ORCHIDACEAE

Synonyms

Zeuxine cochlearis Schltr.

National Status

Status and Criteria

Endangered* D

Assessment Date

2006/10/20

Assessor(s)

J.E. Victor & L. von Staden

Justification

Although very little is known about the global distribution and status of this species, it seems that the single known subpopulation in South Africa (with fewer than 50 mature individuals) was established as a result of immigration from another subpopulation outside of the borders of South Africa. This species favours disturbed areas and the site where it occurs was bulldozed Â± eight years before the discovery of the South African subpopulation. From this we infer immigration has taken place. The species is therefore downgraded from CR to EN based on the regional criteria.

Distribution

Endemism

Not endemic to South Africa

Provincial distribution

KwaZulu-Natal

Range

Nigeria, Angola, Botswana and Durban, Umgeni River Mouth.

Habitat and Ecology

Major system

Terrestrial

Major habitats

Northern Coastal Forest, Mangrove Forest

Description

Moist sand in grassland or mud in shade, prefers to colonize recently disturbed habitats.

Threats

Although this species seem to favour disturbance, urbanization and industrial developments that would completely destroy all natural vegetation remains a threat to this species. There are currently plans to develop the only known site in South Africa where this species occurs (N. Crouch pers. comm. 2007).

Population

Population trend

Stable

Assessment History

Taxon assessed	Status and Criteria	Citation/Red List version
Zeuxine africana Rchb.f.	EN D	Raimondo et al. (2009)
Zeuxine africana Rchb.f.	VU D2	Victor (2002)
Zeuxine africana Rchb.f.	EN	Scott-Shaw (1999)
Zeuxine africana Rchb.f.	Insufficiently Known	Hilton-Taylor (1996)

Bibliography

Crouch, N., McDonald, G., Ngwenya, A., Nichols, G., Sikhakhane, B. and Singh, Y. 1994. Zeuxine africana: Durban's odd-ball orchid. South African Orchid Journal 25(4):127-129.

Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

La Croix, I. and Cribb, P.J. 1995. Orchidaceae. In: G.V. Pope (ed). Flora Zambesiaca 11 (Part 1):1-320. Flora Zambesiaca Managing Committee, London.

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

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.

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

Victor, J.E. & von Staden, L. 2006. Zeuxine africana Rchb.f. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14

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