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Scientific Name | Apodytes abbottii Potgieter & A.E.van Wyk |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | ICACINACEAE |
Common Names | Pondo White Pear (e), Pondo-witpeer (a) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Near Threatened B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v) |
Assessment Date | 2007/11/27 |
Assessor(s) | L. von Staden & A.T.D. Abbott |
Justification | A range-restricted species (EOO 900 km², AOO <900 km²) that occurs in a highly threatened habitat. There are more than 10 locations where the number of mature individuals are declining due to too frequent and intense fires and harvesting for firewood and building materials. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal |
Range | Oribi Gorge to Port St Johns. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Forest |
Description | Pondoland scarp forest, in forest margins and fire protected crevices and rock cliff faces above forested gorges. |
Threats |
| The main threats to Pondoland woody endemics restricted to forest margins are too frequent and intense grassland fires that are causing forest margins to recede (D. Styles, C.R. Scott-Shaw pers. obs.) as well as the indiscriminate harvesting of wood for fuel and building materials (T. Abbott pers. comm.) These threats are affecting forest margins mainly in the areas between Umtamvuna and Mkambati Nature Reserves, as well as between Mkambati and Port St Johns.
From Port Edward to Oribi the largest remaining areas of forest are fairly well protected within the Umtamvuna and Oribi Gorge Nature Reserves, however, some areas of forest above the edges of these deep gorges have undoubtedly been cleared for forestry and agriculture (mainly sugarcane) in the past.
Smaller forest patches outside of reserves are threatened by the effects of fragmentation and isolation within a transformed landscape as well as alien invasive encroachment. |
Population |
Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Apodytes abbottii Potgieter & A.E.van Wyk | NT B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Apodytes abbottii Potgieter & A.E.van Wyk | Lower Risk - Least Concern | Scott-Shaw (1999) | |
Bibliography |
Boon, R. 2010. Pooley's Trees of eastern South Africa. Flora and Fauna Publications Trust, Durban.
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.
Scott-Shaw, C.R. 1999. Rare and threatened plants of KwaZulu-Natal and neighbouring regions. KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service, Pietermaritzburg.
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Citation |
| von Staden, L. & Abbott, A.T.D. 2007. Apodytes abbottii Potgieter & A.E.van Wyk. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/13 |
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