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Scientific Name | Phymaspermum scoparium (DC.) Källersjö |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | ASTERACEAE |
Synonyms | Brachymeris scoparia DC. |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Data Deficient - Insufficient Information |
Assessment Date | 2019/11/07 |
Assessor(s) | D. Raimondo |
Justification | Phymaspermum scoparium is a widespread endemic to the Eastern Karoo. It has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 16 784 km². There have been no recent collections of this species which may indicate that the species is declining. All collections were made prior to 1975. It is suspected that this species has experienced significant declines due to habitat degradation as a result of livestock overgrazing and increasing occurrence of droughts. The degree of the declines are difficult to quantify and could range from 20 to 80% of the populations declining in the past three generations. The generation length for this arid shrub is suspected to be 15- 20 years. Based on currently available data, its risk of extinction cannot be assessed. It is listed as Data Deficient. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, Northern Cape |
Range | It is endemic to South Africa, and is found from Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape to Hanover in the Northern Cape. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Eastern Upper Karoo, Northern Upper Karoo, Southern Karoo Riviere, Besemkaree Koppies Shrubland, Xhariep Karroid Grassland |
Description | Phymaspermum scoparium occupies floodplains and seasonally moist places. |
Threats |
| There is ongoing degradation of this species' habitat as a result of livestock overgrazing and drought. Large-scale shale gas fracking was proposed in 2015 for the Karoo region covering the majority of this species' range. Subpopulations on flats would be most vulnerable to habitat loss to infrastructure development related to fracking, and this species would decline in future if fracking goes ahead.
A Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment submitted to South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs in 2016 cautioned against moving ahead with Shale Gas fracking based on the very high infrastructure costs associated with fracking as well as multiple secondary negative impacts both to biodiversity and other economic activities in the region. Furthermore geological studies that have taken place since 2016 have found that gas deposits are not as substantial as originally suspected due to the very old age of the Karoo shale formations and the dolerite intrusions that occur throughout the Karoo having resulted in much of the gas being lost. At present, future development scenarios are too uncertain to estimate the potential extent of the impact on the population but it is unlikely that shale gas fracking will proceed in the near future. |
Population |
This species is poorly known and rarely collected (Ruiters et al. 2016). Its distribution range is botanically poorly explored, and it may be overlooked. It is possibly a localized habitat specialist, but field surveys are needed to confirm this. The most recent field observations of this species dates from 1974.
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Population trend | Unknown |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Phymaspermum scoparium (DC.) Källersjö | DDD | 2020.1 | | Phymaspermum scoparium (DC.) Källersjö | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Källersjo, M. 1985. Fruit structure and generic delimitation of Athanasia (Asteraceae-Anthemideae) and related South African genera. Nordic Journal of Botany 5:527-542.
Magee, A.R. and Boatwright, J.S. (eds). In prep. Plants of the Karoo: A Conspectus of the Nama-Karoo and Adjacent Summer-Rainfall Regions of the Northern and Western Cape Provinces. Strelitzia.
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.
Ruiters, A.K., Tilney, P.M., Van Wyk, B.E. and Magee, A.R. 2016. Taxonomy of the Genus Phymaspermum (Asteraceae, Anthemideae). Systematic Botany 41(2):430-456.
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Citation |
| Raimondo, D. 2019. Phymaspermum scoparium (DC.) Källersjö. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14 |
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