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Scientific Name | Leucospermum secundifolium Rourke |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | PROTEACEAE |
Common Names | Stalked Pincushion (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Near Threatened D2 |
Assessment Date | 2019/08/13 |
Assessor(s) | A.G. Rebelo, H. Mtshali & L. von Staden |
Justification | Leucospermum secundifolium is a localized species, with an Extent of Occurrence of 273 km², and an Area of Occupancy of 144 km². It is potentially vulnerable to too frequent fires, which could rapidly cause it to increase its risk of extinction, but it is not localized enough to become Critically Endangered or Extinct, and therefore only nearly meets the criteria thresholds for Vulnerable under criterion D2. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | Leucospermum secundifolium is endemic to a small area of the Klein Swartberg Mountain Range north of Ladismith in the Little Karoo, Western Cape. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | South Swartberg Sandstone Fynbos, North Swartberg Sandstone Fynbos |
Description | It occurs mainly on high-altitude south-facing slopes in sandstone fynbos, more rarely on northern slopes, 900-1900 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 fire. It is pollinated by insects. |
Threats |
| As a reseeder, Leucospermum secundifolium is potentially vulnerable to too frequent fires. Local extinctions can occur if fires repeatedly kill individuals before they reach reproductive maturity. It is difficult to define the number of locations, as it occurs more or less continuously over a 60 km stretch of mountainous terrain. It is unlikely that a single fire will impact the entire population of this species, and that the entire population will burn repeatedly.
An average wild fire in continuous fynbos is likely to impact about 30 km², which translates to about 9 locations if compared to the Extent of Occurrence, which is considered an indicator of the spread of risk. |
Population |
This species occurs in small subpopulations, more or less evenly scattered over a 60 km stretch of the Klein Swartberg. The population is not suspected to be declining, but monitoring of the impact of fires is needed.
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Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Leucospermum secundifolium Rourke | NT D2 | 2020.1 | | Leucospermum secundifolium Rourke | Rare | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Leucospermum secundifolium Rourke | Rare | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Leucospermum secundifolium Rourke | Rare | 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.
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 |
| Rebelo, A.G., Mtshali, H. & von Staden, L. 2019. Leucospermum secundifolium Rourke. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/22 |
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