Taxonomy
Scientific Name
Athanasia spathulata (DC.) D.Dietr.
Higher Classification
Dicotyledons
Family
ASTERACEAE
Synonyms
Morysia spathulata DC.
National Status
Status and Criteria
Vulnerable D1
Assessment Date
2011/05/31
Assessor(s)
N.A. Helme & D. Raimondo
Justification
EOO 149 km², less than 600 individuals, and known from only two locations. A long-lived species that occurs as small subpopulations in rocky fire refugia.
Distribution
Endemism
South African endemic
Provincial distribution
Northern Cape
Range
Bokkeveld Escarpment.
Habitat and Ecology
Major system
Terrestrial
Major habitats
Agter-Sederberg Shrubland, Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos
Description
Rock crevices where it escapes the impacts of fire.
Threats
Although surrounding fynbos within this species' range has been ploughed up for rooibos tea cultivation, its specific habitat of rocky crevices affords it some protection from cultivation. It has lost habitat in the past to road construction, but the impact on the population was small and the threat is not ongoing.
Population

Two subpopulations totalling less than 600 mature individuals are known. The population is not suspected to be declining. A long-lived species that escapes fire by sheltering in rock crevices.


Population trend
Stable
Assessment History
Taxon assessed
Status and Criteria
Citation/Red List version
Athanasia spathulata (DC.) D.Dietr.EN B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)Raimondo et al. (2009)
Athanasia spathulata (DC.) D.Dietr.VU D2Victor (2002)
Athanasia spathulata (DC.) D.Dietr.Insufficiently Known Hilton-Taylor (1996)
Athanasia spathulata (DC.) D.Dietr.Uncertain 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., 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.


Källersjo, M. 1991. The genus Athanasia (Compositae - Anthemideae). Opera Botanica 106:1-75.


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.


Citation
Helme, N.A. & Raimondo, D. 2011. Athanasia spathulata (DC.) D.Dietr. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14

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Distribution map

© N.A. Helme

© N.A. Helme


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