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Scientific Name | Ledebouria rupestris (Van der Merwe) S.Venter |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | HYACINTHACEAE |
Synonyms | Scilla rupestris Van der Merwe |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Critically Endangered B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v) |
Assessment Date | 2016/08/26 |
Assessor(s) | M. Lötter & L. von Staden |
Justification | A highly localized species (EOO and AOO <1 km²), known from a single location where it is threatened by ongoing habitat degradation as well as illegal plant collecting. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Mpumalanga |
Range | Graskop. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld |
Description | Shallow, sandy soils among outcrops of Black Reef Quartzite in short montane grassland. |
Threats |
This species may have lost some habitat to timber plantations in the past, but the full extent of its historical range is not known. The only known population occurs within a tourist site with high numbers of visitors. There is ongoing degradation of the habitat, and further infrastructure development is a potential threat. The site is highly accessible and illegal plant collecting is an ongoing threat. |
Population |
This species was first collected in 1940. Ever since its discovery, it has been known from a single subpopulation. Suitable habitat extends along the Mpumalanga Escarpment to the north and south of Graskop. This area is botanically well-explored, but to date no other subpopulations have been found (A.J. Hankey pers. comm. 2016). The only known subpopulation is small, but the plants have not been counted recently (M. Lötter pers. comm. 2016).
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | Ledebouria rupestris (Van der Merwe) S.Venter | CR B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v) | 2017.1 | |
Bibliography |
Van der Merwe, F. 1941. Scilla rupestris. Flowering plants of South Africa 21:t. 828.
Venter, S. 1993. A revision of the genus Ledebouria Roth (Hyacinthaceae) in South Africa. Unpublished MSc. Thesis, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
Venter, S. 2008. Synopsis of the genus Ledebouria Roth (Hyacinthaceae) in South Africa. Herbertia 62:85-155.
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Citation |
Lötter, M. & von Staden, L. 2016. Ledebouria rupestris (Van der Merwe) S.Venter. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/22 |