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Scientific Name | Pterygodium bicolorum (Thunb.) Schltr. |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | ORCHIDACEAE |
Synonyms | Corycium bicolorum (Thunb.) Sw., Ophrys bicolor Thunb., Pterygodium mundii Schltr. |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Least Concern |
Assessment Date | 2015/10/01 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden |
Justification | A widespread (EOO 34 564 km²) species that is becoming rarer due to ongoing habitat loss. It is however estimated to still remain at more than 20 locations, and does not yet meet the criteria for a category of threat. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | Koue Bokkeveld to the Cape Peninsula and Mossel Bay. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Fynbos |
Description | Sandy areas, from sea level to 600 m, flowers after fire. |
Threats |
| Subpopulations on lowlands and coastal plains are threatened by ongoing habitat loss to coastal development between Cape Town and Mossel Bay, while those in the Breede River Valley and along the foothills of the Riviersonderend and Langeberg mountains are declining due to agricultural expansion. Spreading, unmanaged alien invasive plants are also causing ongoing habitat degradation in the area between Hermanus and Stanford, and on the Agulhas Plain. Fire suppression due to ongoing habitat fragmentation on lowlands means that lowland subpopulations seldom flower, and may be overlooked in surveys. Subpopulations in the Hottentots Holland, Kogelberg and Hawequas mountains are not threatened. |
Population |
This species is known from a large number of historical records, but recent observations are comparably rare. It is likely to have declined extensively on the lowlands, where it continues to decline, as subpopulations are easily overlooked because they only flower after fire.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Notes |
| There is ongoing scientific debate regarding the placement of this taxon, with some publications (e.g. Johnson and Bytebier 2015) classifying it in the genus Corycium, while others, such as Manning and Goldblatt (2012) include it within Pterygodium. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Pterygodium bicolorum (Thunb.) Schltr. | Least Concern | 2014.1 | | Corycium bicolorum (Thunb.) Sw. | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
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.
Johnson, S. and Bytebier, B. 2015. Orchids of South Africa: A field guide. Struik Nature, Cape Town.
Linder, H.P. 1999. Corycium. In: H.P. Linder and H. Kurzweil (eds.), Orchids of southern Africa (pp. 339-350), A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam.
Manning, J.C. and Goldblatt, P. 2012. Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 1: The Core Cape Flora. Strelitzia 29. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
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. 2015. Pterygodium bicolorum (Thunb.) Schltr. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/06/02 |
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