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Scientific Name | Euryops diosmiphyllus Vlok |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | ASTERACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Critically Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) |
Assessment Date | 2022/05/26 |
Assessor(s) | J.H. Vlok & H. Mtshali |
Justification | This Ladismith district endemic is known from one, small population consisting of fewer than 2 500 mature individuals, and it continues to decline due to ongoing habitat degradation due to livestock overgrazing. As it occurs on a single hill and in a small area, the species is assessed as Critically Endangered under criterion B. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | This species is endemic to the Western Cape Province, South Africa, where it is restricted to the Ladismith district. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Western Little Karoo |
Description | It occurs on south-west facing slopes on a small hill with sandstone and quartz rocks. |
Threats |
| Part of the habitat was lost when an access road was constructed through the population about 30 years ago. The remaining habitat on a single hill is threatened by grazing livestock. Species in the genus are highly palatable and extinctions of subpopulations of other species have been recorded from overgrazing. |
Population |
This species is locally abundant, but concentrated in a very small area. At the only known location, habitat was lost in the 1990s due to road construction. It is known from one population consisting of not more than 2 500 mature individuals. It is unlikely that more subpopulations exist as all suitable habitat in surrounding hills have been searched, but no additional subpopulations have been found. A continuing population decline is inferred from ongoing habitat degradation.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Bibliography |
Vlok, J.H.J. 2020. Three new species and one new subspecies of Euryops (Asteraceae: Senecioneae) from the Klein Karoo in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. South African Journal of Botany 133:167-173.
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Citation |
| Vlok, J.H. & Mtshali, H. 2022. Euryops diosmiphyllus Vlok. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2024/12/06 |
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