Taxonomy
Scientific Name
Gazania caespitosa Bolus
Higher Classification
Dicotyledons
Family
ASTERACEAE
National Status
Status and Criteria
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2019/11/07
Assessor(s)
V.R. Clark & D. Raimondo
Justification
Gazania caespitosa has a restricted distribution range, with an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 1182 km², and is known from only eight subpopulations. It however has no severe threats and is therefore not in danger of extinction.
Distribution
Endemism
South African endemic
Provincial distribution
Eastern Cape
Range
This species is endemic to the mountains around Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape, where it is known from scattered subpopulations in the Sneeuberge, Toorberg and Kamdeboo Mountains.
Habitat and Ecology
Major system
Terrestrial
Major habitats
Grassland
Description
It occurs on high altitude grassy hills and summit plateaus. This species grows as dense and compact cushions.
Threats
Field surveys indicate that this species has no severe threats.
Population

For a long time, this species was only known from the type specimen, collected in 1872 at an unspecified locality in the 'Koudeveld' Mountains (Sneeuberg) west of Graaff-Reinet (Roessler 1959). It was rediscovered in 2006 during an extensive surveys of the high altitude grasslands of the Sneeuberg Complex (Clark et al. 2012), and at least eight formerly undocumented subpopulations were recorded. This species occurs in isolated subpopulations, but can be locally common, forming large stands of more than 50 plants. As no severe threats were observed, the population is not suspected to be declining.


Population trend
Stable
Assessment History
Taxon assessed
Status and Criteria
Citation/Red List version
Gazania caespitosa BolusData Deficient (Taxonomically Problematic) 2011.1
Gazania caespitosa BolusData Deficient (Taxonomically Problematic) Raimondo et al. (2009)
Gazania caespitosa BolusInsufficiently Known Hilton-Taylor (1996)
Gazania caespitosa BolusUncertain Hall et al. (1980)
Bibliography

Bredenkamp, C. In prep. Conspectus of the flora of the Eastern cape. Strelitzia.


Clark, V.R., Perera, S.J., Stiller, M., Stirton, C.H., Weston, P.H., Stoev, P., Coombs, G., Morris, D.B., Ratnayake-Perera, D. and Barker, N.P. 2012. A rapid multi-disciplinary biodiversity assessment of the Kamdebooberge (Sneeuberg, Eastern Cape, South Africa): implications for conservation. SpringerPlus 1(1):56.


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.


Roessler, H. 1959. Revision der Arctotideae-Gorteriinae (Compositae). Mitteilungen der Botanischen Staatssammlung München 3:71-500.


Citation
Clark, V.R. & Raimondo, D. 2019. Gazania caespitosa Bolus. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2023/11/28

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Distribution map

© V.R. Clark

© V.R. Clark

© V.R. Clark


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