Taxonomy
Scientific Name
Ornithogalum capillifolium Fourc.
Higher Classification
Monocotyledons
Family
HYACINTHACEAE
National Status
Status and Criteria
Data Deficient - Insufficient Information
Assessment Date
2020/11/24
Assessor(s)
L. von Staden
Justification
Ornithogalum capillifolium is a widespread but very poorly known and taxonomically problematic species. No other collections are known other than the three specimens cited in the original 1934 description of the species. It is possibly a rare habitat specialist and if so, likely to be threatened by alien invasive plants, but not enough is known at present to determine its status. It is listed as Data Deficient.
Distribution
Endemism
South African endemic
Provincial distribution
Eastern Cape, Western Cape
Range
This species is endemic to South Africa, and is found in Tsitsikamma and Kouga Mountains.
Habitat and Ecology
Major system
Terrestrial
Major habitats
Kouga Grassy Sandstone Fynbos, Kouga Sandstone Fynbos, Tsitsikamma Sandstone Fynbos
Description
Its habitat is unknown, but it possibly occurs on streambanks.
Threats
Ornithogalum capillifolium is possibly threatened by habitat loss to forestry plantations and competition from alien invasive plants.
Population

There is no information available on the population of this species.


Population trend
Unknown
Notes
Described in 1934 (Fourcade 1934), but overlooked by Leighton (1945) and treated as a synonym of the widespread Ornithogalum juncifolium by Obermeyer (1978). The Müller-Doblies (Müller-Doblies and Müller-Doblies 1996) reinstated the name without having made any further collections or identifying any other specimens as belonging to this species other than those cited by Fourcade (1934). The name is however upheld in the most recent classification of the genus (Manning et al. 2009).
Assessment History
Taxon assessed
Status and Criteria
Citation/Red List version
Ornithogalum capillifolium Fourc.Data Deficient 2012.1
Bibliography

Fourcade, H.G. 1934. Contributions to the flora of the Knysna and neighbouring divisions. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 21:75-102.


Leighton, F.M. 1945. A revision of the South African species of Ornithogalum L. Part III. Journal of South African Botany 11:135-185.


Manning, J.C., Forest, F., Devey, D.S., Fay, M.F. and Goldblatt, P. 2009. A molecular phylogeny and revised classification of Ornithogaloideae (Hyacinthaceae) based on an analysis of four plastid DNA regions. Taxon 58(1):77-107.


Müller-Doblies, U. and Müller-Doblies, D. 1996. Revisionula incompleta Ornithogalorum Austro-Africanorum (Hyacinthaceae). Feddes Repertorium 107(5-6):361-548.


Obermeyer, A.A. 1978. Ornithogalum: a revision of the southern African species. Bothalia 12(3):323-376.


Citation
von Staden, L. 2020. Ornithogalum capillifolium Fourc. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/09

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Distribution map


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