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Scientific Name | Conophytum minusculum (N.E.Br.) N.E.Br. subsp. leipoldtii (N.E.Br.) S.A.Hammer |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | AIZOACEAE |
Synonyms | Conophytum leipoldtii N.E.Br. |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered B1ab(v)+2ab(v) |
Assessment Date | 2020/02/08 |
Assessor(s) | A.J. Young & D. Raimondo |
Justification | A range-restricted taxon endemic to the Western Cape Province, South Africa, it has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 27 km² and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 20 km². There are between two and four threat based locations. An ongoing decline in mature individuals is taking place as as result of illegal collecting for the specialist succulent horticultural trade. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | information redacted, contact SANBI |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Fynbos, Succulent Karoo |
Description | Crevices in weathered quartzitic sandstone. |
Threats |
| Sandstone fynbos around known subpopulations of this taxon are being rapidly ploughed up for rooibos tea cultivation - crop fields are often within tens of meters of subpopulations. This taxon however occurs wedged in crevices in sandstone outcrops that are unsuitable to cultivation, and ploughing has had little or no impact on the population. The indirect impacts of agricultural activities such as herbicide and fertilizer drift are not known. Since March 2019 this taxon has come under pressure from illegal collecting, with 40 specimens obtained from Korean poachers in 2019. |
Population |
This taxon is locally abundant, with the population estimated to be between 5000 and 10 000 mature individuals. The impact of recent illegal collecting on the population has not be quantified.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Conophytum minusculum (N.E.Br.) N.E.Br. subsp. leipoldtii (N.E.Br.) S.A.Hammer | Rare | 2017.1 | | Conophytum minusculum (N.E.Br.) N.E.Br. subsp. leipoldtii (N.E.Br.) S.A.Hammer | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Hammer, S. 1993. Dwarf dwarfs: Conophytum, the section Minuscula. Haseltonia 1:18-28.
Hammer, S. 2002. Dumpling and his wife: New view of the genus Conophytum. EAE Creative Colour, Norwich.
Hammer, S.A. 1993. The genus Conophytum: A conograph. Succulent Plant Publications, 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 |
| Young, A.J. & Raimondo, D. 2020. Conophytum minusculum (N.E.Br.) N.E.Br. subsp. leipoldtii (N.E.Br.) S.A.Hammer. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2023/12/03 |
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