Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants

Taxonomy

Scientific Name

Eulophia platypetala Lindl.

Higher Classification

Monocotyledons

Family

ORCHIDACEAE

Synonyms

Eulophia lissochiloides Lindl., Graphorchis lissochiloides (Lindl.) Kuntze

National Status

Status and Criteria

Vulnerable A2ac; C2a(i)

Assessment Date

2021/10/07

Assessor(s)

J.H. Vlok & H. Mtshali

Justification

This long-lived species (generation length 50 years) has experienced a population decline of between 30 and 40% over the past past 100 years due to habitat conversion for crops and infestation of its habitat by invasive alien plants. Loss has been particularly severe in the southern Cape. The population is small, estimated to consist of fewer than 2500 mature individuals, the majority of subpopulations are small consisting of between three and 50 individuals. The largest known subpopulation has fewer than 1000 mature individuals, and a continuing decline is inferred from ongoing habitat loss and degradation. It therefore qualifies for listing as Vulnerable under criteria A and C.

Distribution

Endemism

South African endemic

Provincial distribution

Eastern Cape, Western Cape

Range

This species is endemic to the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces, where it occurs from Riversdale to Port St Johns.

Habitat and Ecology

Major system

Terrestrial

Major habitats

Montagu Shale Renosterveld, Uniondale Shale Renosterveld, Mossel Bay Shale Renosterveld, Southern Afrotemperate Forest, South Outeniqua Sandstone Fynbos, North Outeniqua Sandstone Fynbos, North Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos, Garden Route Shale Fynbos, Eastern Coastal Shale Band Vegetation, St Francis Dune Thicket, Goukamma Dune Thicket

Description

This species is rare in dry coastal renosterveld and grassy places in coastal forest on sand to sandy loams, and on rocky outcrops.

Threats

This species' habitat shows a least 25% loss across its range from agriculture. More than 50% of historic locations have been lost in the past two generations (100 years) due to orchard and pasture cultivation. From this we infer that between 30 and 40% of the population has been lost over the past two generations. Alien infestation in Albertinia lowlands as well as Langkloof threatens remaining locations. These could outcompete native species in future if left unmanaged.

Population

The population size is estimated to be no more than 2500 mature individuals. Subpopulations size varies between three and 1000 mature individuals (based on iNaturalist observations and field monitoring undertaken by citizen scientists working as part of the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers programme). The majority of recently monitored subpopulations consisting of fewer than 50 mature individuals. This speciesâ�� habitat has been lost to agricultural expansion in many parts of its range, with a number of historical localities now converted to crop fields. A continuing decline is inferred from ongoing habitat loss and degradation.

Population trend

Decreasing

Assessment History

Taxon assessed	Status and Criteria	Citation/Red List version
Eulophia platypetala Lindl.	VU A2c	Raimondo et al. (2009)
Eulophia platypetala Lindl.	Lower Risk - Least Concern	Victor (2002)
Eulophia platypetala Lindl.	Vulnerable	Hilton-Taylor (1996)
Eulophia platypetala Lindl.	Vulnerable	Hall et al. (1980)

Bibliography

Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2000. Cape Plants: A conspectus of the Cape Flora of South Africa. Strelitzia 9. National Botanical Institute, Cape Town.

Hall, A.V. 1965. Studies in the South African species of Eulophia. Journal of South African Botany Supplement 5:1-248.

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.

Liltved, W.R. and Johnson, S.D. Unpublished. The Cape Orchids - Wild orchids of the Cape Floral Kingdom.

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.

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.

Victor, J.E. and Dold, A.P. 2003. Threatened plants of the Albany Centre of Floristic Endemism, South Africa. South African Journal of Science 99:437-446.

Vlok, J. and Schutte-Vlok, A.L. 2010. Plants of the Klein Karoo. Umdaus Press, Hatfield.

Citation

Vlok, J.H. & Mtshali, H. 2021. Eulophia platypetala Lindl. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14

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