Taxonomy
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).


Population trend
Decreasing
Assessment History
Taxon assessed
Status and Criteria
Citation/Red List version
Ledebouria rupestris (Van der Merwe) S.VenterCR 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 Unpublished MSc.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.


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

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Distribution map


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