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Scientific Name | Muraltia mitior (P.J.Bergius) Levyns |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | POLYGALACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2013/01/03 |
Assessor(s) | N.A. Helme & L. von Staden |
Justification | EOO 3212 km², between four and six small, isolated, severely fragmented subpopulations continue to decline due to ongoing habitat loss to urban expansion, coastal development, competition from alien invasive plants and overgrazing. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | Cape Flats and Agulhas Plain. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Overberg Dune Strandveld, Cape Flats Dune Strandveld, Swartland Shale Renosterveld, Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos, De Hoop Limestone Fynbos, Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, Cape Seashore Vegetation |
Description | Low-lying sandy flats among coastal dunes, usually water-logged during the winter months. |
Threats |
| Less than 10% of this species' habitat on the Cape Flats remains due to urban expansion of the city of Cape Town. Around three remaining subpopulations occur on small, isolated fragments infested with alien invasive wattles, and which continues to be degraded due to a lack of fire, and is under pressure from ongoing urban development.
On the Agulhas Plain, plants are threatened by habitat loss to coastal development, competition from unmanaged, spreading alien invasive plants as well as habitat degradation as a result of overgrazing. |
Population |
Numerous historical records indicate that this species was once common on the southern Cape Flats around False Bay, but now only a few, isolated subpopulations remain, which continue to be lost (N.A. Helme pers. comm.). These subpopulations are separated by about 130 km from those on the Agulhas Plain, where this species has been recorded only a few times within a very small area.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Muraltia mitior (P.J.Bergius) Levyns | EN B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Muraltia mitior (P.J.Bergius) Levyns | Insufficiently Known | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | |
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.
Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
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. & von Staden, L. 2013. Muraltia mitior (P.J.Bergius) Levyns. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/31 |
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