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Scientific Name | Morella microbracteata (Weim.) Verdc. & Polhill |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | MYRICACEAE |
Synonyms | Myrica microbracteata Weim. |
Common Names | Berg-wasbessie (a), Inyanga Waxberry (e), Mountain Waxberry (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered D |
Assessment Date | 2009/08/14 |
Assessor(s) | M. Lötter, J.E. Burrows & J.E. Victor |
Justification | Three small subpopulations, consisting of no more than 250 mature individuals in total, is known to occur in South Africa. The population is not declining, but it is isolated from subpopulations in Zimbabwe, and the national status is not downgraded. |
Distribution |
Endemism | Not endemic to South Africa |
Provincial distribution | Mpumalanga |
Range | Lydenburg to Graskop. Also occurs near Nyanga in Zimbabwe. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Long Tom Pass Montane Grassland, Steenkampsberg Montane Grassland, Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld, Northern Mistbelt Forest, Northern Afrotemperate Forest |
Description | Streamsides and forest margins in high-altitude grassland. |
Threats |
| Invasive Alien Species (direct effects), Habitat loss |
Population |
Population trend | Stable |
Notes |
| According to Polhill and Verdcourt (2006), the taxon referred to as Morella microbracteata in Coates Palgrave (2002) and Schmidt et al. (2002) is not the same as true Morella microbracteata from the eastern Zimbabwe highlands. This taxon may be an unrecognised species, or a variant of another species. The genus in South Africa was last revised in 1969 (Killick 1969). |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Morella microbracteata (Weim.) Verdc. & Polhill | EN D | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Coates Palgrave, M. 2002. Keith Coates Palgrave Trees of southern Africa. 3rd Edition. Struik, Cape Town.
Killick, D.J.B. 1969. The South African species of Myrica. Bothalia 10:5-17.
Killick, D.J.B., Polhill, R.M. and Verdcourt, B. 1998. New Combinations in African Myricaceae. Kew Bulletin 53(4):993-995.
Polhill, R.M. and Verdcourt, B. 2006. Myricaceae. In: G.V. Pope, R.M. Polhill and E.S. Martins (eds). Flora Zambesiaca 9 (Part 3):254-263. Flora Zambesiaca Managing Committee, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
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.
Schmidt, E., Lotter, M. and McCleland, W. 2002. Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park. Jacana, Johannesburg.
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Citation |
| Lötter, M., Burrows, J.E. & Victor, J.E. 2009. Morella microbracteata (Weim.) Verdc. & Polhill. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/19 |
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