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Scientific Name | Muraltia brevicornu DC. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | POLYGALACEAE |
Synonyms | Muraltia striata DC. |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2016/10/18 |
Assessor(s) | N.A. Helme, D. Raimondo & L. von Staden |
Justification | A formerly widespread species, that has had a significant reduction in its range size due to habitat loss. Its current EOO is 1797 km², and recent field observations have recorded nine extant locations. It continues to decline due to competition from alien invasive plants and habitat loss. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | Sandveld to the Cape Flats. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, Atlantis Sand Fynbos, Leipoldtville Sand Fynbos |
Description | Lowland acid sands over clay. |
Threats |
| This species has declined in the southern part of its range due to habitat loss to urban expansion. It has lost habitat to crop cultivation around Mamre and Chatsworth in the past, but appears to be able to recolonise old lands. In this area it is predominantly threatened by competition from dense, unmanaged alien invasive plant infestations, and to a lesser extent, urban and industrial development. In the Sandveld it is threatened by rapid, ongoing expansion of rooibos tea and potato cultivation. |
Population |
Muraltia brevicornu is a formerly widespread and common species that has declined extensively across its range. It is now locally extinct on the Cape Flats, where it was last recorded in 1967. Recent field observations indicate that it is still fairly common between Malmesbury and Melkbosstrand. It was also recently relocated in the Sandveld near Piketberg (N.A. Helme pers. obs. 2014), where it was formerly known only from historical records with imprecise locality descriptions, suggesting that this species is possibly overlooked and under-sampled in this area. The population continues to decline due to ongoing habitat loss and degradation.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Muraltia brevicornu DC. | VU B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | 2017.1 | | Muraltia brevicornu DC. | EN B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v) | 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.
Levyns, M.R. 1954. The genus Muraltia. Journal of South African Botany Supplement 2:1-247.
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 |
| Helme, N.A., Raimondo, D. & von Staden, L. 2016. Muraltia brevicornu DC. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/13 |
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