Malmesbury Pincushion

Taxonomy
Scientific Name
Leucospermum parile (Salisb. ex Knight) Sweet
Higher Classification
Dicotyledons
Family
PROTEACEAE
Common Names
Malmesbury Pincushion (e)
National Status
Status and Criteria
Vulnerable A2c
Assessment Date
2020/06/22
Assessor(s)
A.G. Rebelo, H. Mtshali & L. von Staden
Justification
Leucospermum parile is endemic to the Swartland region of the Western Cape, South Africa. It has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 409-411km² and an area of occupancy (AOO) 232-236km². A population reduction of at least 30% is estimated based on habitat loss to urban expansion, agriculture and alien plant invasion in the past 60 years (generation length 20 years). The remaining fragments are threatened due ongoing degradation by alien invasive plants, inappropriate fire management and disturbance by mole rat activity.
Distribution
Endemism
South African endemic
Provincial distribution
Western Cape
Range
Leucospermum parile has a limited distribution in Western Cape Province of South Africa, where it occurs between Dassenberg and Paardeberg.
Habitat and Ecology
Major system
Terrestrial
Major habitats
Swartland Granite Renosterveld, Swartland Silcrete Renosterveld, Atlantis Sand Fynbos
Description
It occurs on sandy flats, 60-350 m. It is a short-live species, with a generation length of 15-20 years. Mature individuals are killed by fires, and only seeds survive. Seeds are released after ripening, and dispersed by ants to their underground nests, where they are protected from predation and fire. It is pollinated by insects.
Threats
At least 55% of this species' habitat is irreversibly modified, predominantly due to habitat loss for pasture and crop cultivation. Urban expansion is a past threat in the form of smallholdings around Mamre and Atlantis. There is no ongoing loss, but more concerning is that the remaining habitat is densely infested by alien invasive plants (acacias and pines) that are outcompeting native species. There is ongoing habitat degradation due to overgrazing, inappropriate fire management and increased mole rat activity associated with disturbance. Climate change models predicted a further population reduction by up to 80% by 2025 (Bomhard et al. 2005), but this was extreme. No such drastic reductions have been observed.
Population

This species is known from a 20 km long area, surviving in over 60 subpopulations totalling several thousand plants. At Riverlands and Rondevlei, large colonies of this species still survive, but at most other places the populations have been destroyed, and plants survive in road verges and uncultivated fragments. A population reduction of at least 30% is inferred from habitat loss over past three generations.


Population trend
Decreasing
Conservation
It is conserved at Riverlands Nature Reserve, especially the Pella extension.
Assessment History
Taxon assessed
Status and Criteria
Citation/Red List version
Leucospermum parile (Salisb. ex Knight) SweetEN A2c+3c+4cRaimondo et al. (2009)
Leucospermum parile (Salisb. ex Knight) SweetVulnerable Hilton-Taylor (1996)
Leucospermum parile (Salisb. ex Knight) SweetVulnerable Hall et al. (1980)
Bibliography

Bomhard, B., Richardson, D.M., Donaldson, J.S., Hughes, G.O., Midgley, G.F., Raimondo, D.C., Rebelo, A.G., Rouget, M. and Thuiller, W. 2005. Potential impacts of future land use and climate change on the Red List status of the Proteaceae in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. Global Change Biology 11(9):1452-1468.


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.


Citation
Rebelo, A.G., Mtshali, H. & von Staden, L. 2020. Leucospermum parile (Salisb. ex Knight) Sweet. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/30

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Distribution map


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