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Scientific Name | Wurmbea inusta (Baker) B.Nord. |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | COLCHICACEAE |
Synonyms | Wurmbea capensis Thunb. var. inusta Baker |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable B1ab(ii,iii,v) |
Assessment Date | 2008/02/05 |
Assessor(s) | N.A. Helme & D. Raimondo |
Justification | A habitat specialist (EOO 12 600 km²) that has lost a minimum 40% of locations as a result of urban and agricultural expansion. Degradation of habitat is ongoing due to eutrophication from surrounding wheat fields, alien grass invasions, and overgrazing and trampling by livestock. Habitat loss from urban expansion especially, in the northern suburbs of Cape Town and in the Gordon's Bay, is also ongoing. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | Tulbagh to Bredasdorp including the Cape Peninsula. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Swartland Shale Renosterveld, Ceres Shale Renosterveld, Central Ruens Shale Renosterveld, Swartland Granite Renosterveld, Elgin Shale Fynbos, Breede Shale Fynbos, Peninsula Granite Fynbos, Breede Sand Fynbos, Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, Atlantis Sand Fynbos, Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos, Swartland Alluvium Fynbos, Breede Alluvium Fynbos |
Description | Damp clay flats in lowland renosterveld. |
Threats |
| Agriculture is a severe past threat, especially in the Swartberg and Overberg regions. It is still ongoing moderately. Urbanization was listed a severe, past threat on the Cape Flats, Gordon's Bay and around Stellenbosch, and as a moderate ongoing threat in Gordon's Bay.
This species habitat is often trampled and eutrophied on farms that have livestock. This species may have been lost from the Saron area as a result of this threat. Invasive alien grasses are another threat to this species as its' habitat of damp clays is particularly vulnerable to invasive grasses. |
Population |
Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation |
| Elandsberg Private Nature Reserve. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Wurmbea inusta (Baker) B.Nord. | VU B1ab(ii,iii,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
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.
Nordenstam, B. 1986. The genus Wurmbea (Colchicaceae) in the Cape region. Opera Botanica 87:1-41.
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. & Raimondo, D. 2008. Wurmbea inusta (Baker) B.Nord. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/15 |
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