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Scientific Name | Leucadendron cinereum (Sol. ex Aiton) R.Br. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | PROTEACEAE |
Synonyms | Leucadendron truncatum (Thunb.) Meisn. |
Common Names | Scraggly Conebush (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable A2bc |
Assessment Date | 2020/06/07 |
Assessor(s) | A.G. Rebelo, H. Mtshali, L. von Staden & D. Raimondo |
Justification | Leucadendron cinereum is restricted to lowland sandy habitats on the West Coast of the South Africa, it has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 4668 km² and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 344 km². A 30-40% decline to the population is suspected to have taken place since 1985 as a result of severe habitat degradation from invasive alien plants, livestock grazing and clearing of subpopulations that occur along road verges. With a generation length of 15 to 20 years it qualifies for listing as Vulnerable under criterion A. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | This species has a restricted distribution in Western Cape Province, South Africa, where it occurs from the Berg River mouth to Kraaifontein. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Saldanha Flats Strandveld, Swartland Silcrete Renosterveld, Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, Atlantis Sand Fynbos, Hopefield Sand Fynbos |
Description | It occurs in sand fynbos on flats. Mature individuals are killed by fires, and only seeds survive. Wind-dispersed seeds are stored in fire-resistant inflorescences, and released after fires. It is dioecious, with insect-pollinated male and female flowers occuring on separate plants. |
Threats |
| About 47% of this species' habitat is already irreversibly modified, predominantly due to historical habitat loss to urban and agricultural expansion on Sand Fynbos in the Cape Flats, Atlantis, Hopefield and Aurora. Although there is no ongoing habitat loss recorded in 24 years, the remnant fragments are heavily impacted over much of its range by alien invasive acacias, and plants are regularly absent from remants with dense invasive infestations. There is severe degradation of habitat by grazing livestock and frequent mowing of road verges which destroys plants and their seed banks. Groundwater extraction for irrigation and increasing prolonged droughts in the Western Cape are increasing pressure on groundwater resources, and this might lead to drought related mortality. |
Population |
This species is known from between 25 and 35 subpopulations occurring over a 130 km long range. While many subpopulations are small and restricted to road verges and fragments between agricultural development, the majority of the population remains in large subpopulations that occur at Riverlands and Dassenberg; and in areas north of the Malmesbury-Darling Road; with several areas around Darling, Hopefield, North of the Berg River to Aurora. The populations is declining due to degradation of habitat by livestock and alien plants. A 30-40% decline to the population is suspected to have taken place since 1985 (three generations) as a result of degradation of its habitat mainly as a result of dense invasive acacia infestations.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Leucadendron cinereum (Sol. ex Aiton) R.Br. | VU A2c+3c+4c | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Leucadendron cinereum (Sol. ex Aiton) R.Br. | Not Threatened | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Leucadendron cinereum (Sol. ex Aiton) R.Br. | Vulnerable | Hall et al. (1980) | |
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.
Hall, A.V., De Winter, M., De Winter, B. and Van Oosterhout, S.A.M. 1980. Threatened plants of southern Africa. South African National Scienctific Programmes Report 45. CSIR, Pretoria.
Hilton-Taylor, C. 1996. Red data list of southern African plants. Strelitzia 4. South African National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Manning, J.C. and Goldblatt, P. 2012. Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 1: The Core Cape Flora. Strelitzia 29. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
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.
Rebelo, T. 2001. Sasol Proteas: A field guide to the proteas of southern Africa. (2nd ed.). Fernwood Press, Vlaeberg, Cape Town.
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Citation |
| Rebelo, A.G., Mtshali, H., von Staden, L. & Raimondo, D. 2020. Leucadendron cinereum (Sol. ex Aiton) R.Br. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/05/14 |
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