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Scientific Name | Agathosma corymbosa (Montin) G.Don |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | RUTACEAE |
Synonyms | Agathosma laxa Bartl. & H.L.Wendl., Agathosma pubescens G.Don, Agathosma ventenatiana (Roem. & Schult.) Bartl. & H.L.Wendl., Agathosma villosa Willd., Bucco ventenatiana Roem. & Schult., Bucco villosa J.C.Wendl., Diosma corymbosa Montin, Diosma hirta Vent., Diosma pubescens Thunb., Diosma purpurea Hort. ex Bartl. & H.L.Wendl., Diosma rubra Hort. ex Bartl. & H.L.Wendl., Diosma rugosa Hort.Angl. ex Bartl. & H.L.Wendl., Diosma wendlandiana DC., Hartogia ventenatiana Kuntze, Hartogia villosa Kuntze |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Critically Endangered A3ce+4ce |
Assessment Date | 2022/10/17 |
Assessor(s) | H. Mtshali & T. Trinder-Smith |
Justification | A range-restricted Western Cape endemic, that now persist within a very small area between Hopefield and Cape Peninsula. There has been local extinction of known subpopulations to urban development and crop cultivation in the areas between Hopefield and Cape Peninsula witnessed since 2005. Some of the remaining subpopulations occur in areas that are earmarked for development and all remaining habitat is severely invaded by woody alien plants. With the ongoing rate of habitat loss and degradation a population reduction of 80-90% is projected for this severely fragmented species, within the next generation (20 - 40 years), if planned developments across its range go ahead. Since this species has a generation length of 20 years it qualifies for listing as Critically Endangered due to recent observed declines and predicted future declines under criterion A. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | This species has a restricted distribution in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, where it occurs from Hopefield to the Cape Peninsula. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Cape Flats Dune Strandveld, Swartland Silcrete Renosterveld, Swartland Alluvium Renosterveld, Hangklip Sand Fynbos, Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, Atlantis Sand Fynbos |
Description | It grows in seasonally wet lowland acid sands. Seeds are forcibly discharged after ripening when a capsule split open and are dispersed by ants. It is likely to be pollinated by insects, bees and butterflies as they are responsible for pollination of flowers in most species in the genus Agathosma. |
Threats |
| Most of this species' habitat has been lost in the past due to urban development and agriculture, and it had resulted in definite loss of subpopulations. The remnant vegetation where it remains is heavily infested by invasive alien plants and threatened by proposed housing developments, should this construction take place over 80% of the population will be lost. |
Population |
It has lost most of its historic sites in the past to urban development, particularly in the south of its range. Although there have been local extinctions of a subpopulations observed recently, this species still persists in remnant fragments. Field observations indicate that this species has become scarce in some places due to development. Currently it is known from six subpopulations, the largest occurring in Riverlands and it is severely impacted by alien invasive plants. The subpopulations above Frankdale road has development approval across most of the remnant. Plants that were remaining in a small pacth at N1/N7 interchange are now locally extinct. Subpopulations are isolated and continue to decline due to ongoing habitat loss and degradation at all sites. Based on the observed rate of subpopulation decline, a population reduction of 80-90% is projected to take place between 2005 and 2045, a period within three generations (generation length 20 years).
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Conservation |
| This species is conserved in Koeberg Power Station. |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Agathosma corymbosa (Montin) G.Don | EN A2c; B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Agathosma corymbosa (Montin) G.Don | VU B1B2abcde | Victor (2002) | | Agathosma corymbosa (Montin) G.Don | Endangered | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | |
Bibliography |
Bolus Herbarium. The genus Agathosma, specimen data from the Bolus Herbarium Collections database. University of Cape Town, Cape Town. Downloaded on 2007.
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.
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.
Victor, J.E. 2002. South Africa. In: J.S. Golding (ed), Southern African plant Red Data Lists. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 14 (pp. 93-120), SABONET, Pretoria.
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Citation |
| Mtshali, H. & Trinder-Smith, T. 2022. Agathosma corymbosa (Montin) G.Don. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2024/12/07 |
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