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Scientific Name | Babiana purpurea Ker Gawl. |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
Synonyms | Babiana stricta (Aiton) Ker Gawl. var. purpurea (Ker Gawl.) Ker Gawl, Gladiolus purpureus (Jacq.) Vahl, Ixia purpurea Jacq (later homonym), not of Lam. (1789) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Vulnerable B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) |
Assessment Date | 2021/04/22 |
Assessor(s) | J.C. Manning & D. Raimondo |
Justification | This species has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 8 452 km², and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 200-600 km². It has lost over 59% of its habitat to wheat, vineyard cultivation, and infrastructure development. The population is severely fragmented and declining. This species therefore qualifies for listing as Vulnerable under criteria B. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | It is endemic to South Africa, and is found from Bot River to Bredasdorp and Robertson in the Western Cape. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Breede Shale Renosterveld, Western Ruens Shale Renosterveld, Greyton Shale Fynbos, Elim Ferricrete Fynbos |
Description | It occurs in renosterveld on clay flats and slopes. |
Threats |
| This species has lost 59% of its habitat (calculated using landcover data in GIS) to agriculture, urban and infrastructure development. Many of the remaining subpopulations occur in small remnants of renosterveld where there is ongoing habitat degradation as a result of invasive alien plants. This species has experienced documented loss of subpopulations to infrastructure development for the town of Caledon. |
Population |
The species' habitat has been extensively transformed and the remaining subpopulations occur in isolated remnants. Since 2003, 44 isolated subpopulations have been monitored by citizen scientists working as part of the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers programme, on iNaturalist, and through other means. There are only two large subpopulations recorded, one with over 1000 plants from the farm Witkop near Caledon, and another with between 250 and 500 plants on a roadside verge between Caledon and Greyton. The vast majority of subpopulations are small numbering fewer than 50 plants occurring in non-viable fragments of habitat. The population is therefore considered severely fragmented. It is declining due to ongoing loss of habitat to crop cultivation and road verge clearing.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Babiana purpurea (Jacq.) Ker Gawl. | EN B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
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.
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2007. A revision of the southern African genus Babiana, Iridaceae, Crocoideae. Strelitzia 18:1-97. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2012. New species and subspecies of Babiana, Hesperantha, and Ixia (Iridaceae: Crocoideae) from southern Africa; range extensions and morphological and nomenclatural notes on Babiana and Geissorhiza. Bothalia 42(2):137-145.
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2020. Iridaceae of southern Africa. Strelitzia 42. 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.
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Citation |
| Manning, J.C. & Raimondo, D. 2021. Babiana purpurea Ker Gawl. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2024/12/07 |
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