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Scientific Name | Aspalathus muraltioides Eckl. & Zeyh. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | FABACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2006/12/04 |
Assessor(s) | A.L. Schutte-Vlok & D. Raimondo |
Justification | More than 80% of this species' habitat has been transformed by agriculture over the past 100 years (more than three generations) and only seven severely fragmented subpopulations remain. EOO 3200 km², and the population continues to decline due to further ploughing and too infrequent fire. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | Piketberg to Worcester. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Swartland Shale Renosterveld, Breede Shale Renosterveld, Montagu Shale Renosterveld, Swartland Granite Renosterveld, Boland Granite Fynbos, Breede Sand Fynbos, Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, Atlantis Sand Fynbos, Swartland Alluvium Fynbos, Breede Alluvium Fynbos |
Description | Mixed renosterveld-fynbos scrub, fine-grained clay soils. |
Threats |
| Agriculture was a severe past threat - over 80% of habitat was lost to wheat, fruit and vineyard farming over the past 200 years.
Lack of fire due to fragmentation is a severe threat to all Aspalathus species as they require fire to recruit. All possible remaining locations for this species are highly isolated small fragments that landowners do not burn. (D. Raimondo 2006). |
Population |
Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Aspalathus muraltioides Eckl. & Zeyh. | EN B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Dahlgren, R. 1968. Distribution and substrate in the South African genus Aspalathus L. (Leguminosae). Botaniska Notiser 121:505-534.
Dahlgren, R. 1988. Crotalarieae (Aspalathus). In: O.A. Leistner (ed). Flora of southern Africa 16 Fabaceae, Part 3 Papilionoideae, Fascicle 6:1-430. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
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.
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 |
| Schutte-Vlok, A.L. & Raimondo, D. 2006. Aspalathus muraltioides Eckl. & Zeyh. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14 |
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