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Scientific Name | Leucospermum profugum Rourke |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | PROTEACEAE |
Common Names | Piketberg Pincushion (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable D1+2 |
Assessment Date | 2020/05/27 |
Assessor(s) | A.G. Rebelo, D. Raimondo & L. von Staden |
Justification | Leucospermum profugum is an endemic species restricted to the Piketberg Mountains of South Africa, it has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 149 km², and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 40 km². Following extensive monitoring of its entire range it is now known from four locations and five subpopulations. Subpopulations are small and monitoring over the past 30 years indicates that there are between 300 and 560 mature individuals. The subpopulations are currently stable but face future potential threats from too frequent fire and the spread of invasive alien plant species. It therefore qualifies as Vulnerable under criterion D. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | This species is known from the Piketberg Mountains in the Western Cape, South Africa. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Piketberg Sandstone Fynbos |
Description | It is confined to Piketberg sandstone where it grows in well-drained situations in rocky outcrops, 700-800 m. 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 germinate following fire. It is pollinated by birds. |
Threats |
| There are no significant threats to this species and monitoring of subpopulations over the past 30 years shows they are currently stable. However, an increase in the frequency of burning and the spread of invasive alien plants is also a future potential threat. Invasive alien plants are present at low densities across this species range. |
Population |
This species has been recorded from five subpopulations. The largest subpopulation occurs from Versfeld Pass to Aasvoelkop. It consists of a handful of scattered clumps of between 10 and 50 plants occurring along Versfeld Pass and one large stand of 100-300 plants on Aasvoelkop itself. There has been ongoing monitoring of the plants at this site since 1994 and the subpopulation is stable with not threats. Three isolated subpopulations consisting of fewer than 20 plants each occur at Pomona farm, Ertjielandskloof and Bobbejaanskop, there are no threats recorded for these subpopulations. The last subpopulation is found on Engelsmansebaken where between 100 and 150 plants were recorded between 1994, and 2002. While there has been no recent monitoring this subpopulation is suspected to be stable and has no significant threats. During the Protea Atlas Project that systematically surveyed the Fynbos Biome for Proteaceae species over 800 plots were surveyed on the Piketberg Mountain, it is therefore unlikely that there are any other large undocumented subpopulations. A few small stands of plants may have been missed. There are currently between 300 and 560 mature individuals documented, thus even including a few undocumented stands of plants the total population consists of fewer than 1000 mature individuals.
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Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Leucospermum profugum Rourke | EN B1ac(iv)+2ac(iv) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Leucospermum profugum Rourke | Rare | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Leucospermum profugum Rourke | Endangered | 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., Raimondo, D. & von Staden, L. 2020. Leucospermum profugum Rourke. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/13 |
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