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Scientific Name | Aspalathus secunda E.Mey. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | FABACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) |
Assessment Date | 2022/05/18 |
Assessor(s) | D. Raimondo & B. du Preez |
Justification | A restricted range species, that is endemic to the Western Cape Province of South Africa, with an extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) of 8 km². It is known from between one and five locations and is experiencing low levels of decline in habitat quality and number of mature individuals as a result of lack of fire. It therefore qualifies for listing as Endangered under criterion B. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | This species is endemic to the Western Cape, where it occurs in Riebeek-Kasteel Mountain. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Fynbos |
Description | Plants grow on mountain slopes, at an unknown altitude. |
Threats |
| This species has lost habitat to vineyard and wheat cultivation in the past and much of its former habitat has been planted to these crops, loss is ongoing but habitat transformation rates are now very low. There has also been a small amount of habitat lost to the construction of roads. Too infrequent fire is causing decline in habitat quality and given that this species requires fire to flourish, long periods with no fire is suspected to be causing slow ongoing decline to the population. |
Population |
This species was for a long time only known from a single collection made by Pillans in 1929, in 2019 a small subpopulation of fewer than 20 plants was recorded along a road verge on the southern slopes of the Riebeek-Kasteel mountain. This species like many others within the genus Aspalathus is likely to respond to fire, and the low numbers of individuals seen in 2019 was most likely due to the fact that the vegetation was highly senescent. Given that many more individuals will likely emerge following fire this species is not assessed under the D criterion. Furthermore since suitable habitat exists along an 8 km stretch on the southern slopes of the Riebeek-Kasteel Mountain one or two more subpopulations and locations are likely to exist. The population trend is inferred to be declining due to lack of fire.
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Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Aspalathus secunda E.Mey. | Data Deficient | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Dahlgren, R. 1968. Revision of the genus Aspalathus. II. The species with ericoid and pinoid leaflets. 6. The Aspalathus frankenioides, nivea, juniperina, rubens, and divaricata groups and some other groups. Opera Botanica 21:8-304.
Dahlgren, R. 1988. Crotalarieae (Aspalathus). In: O.A. Leistner (ed). Flora of southern Africa 16 Fabaceae, Part 3 Papilionoideae, Fascicle 6:1-430. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
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.
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 |
| Raimondo, D. & du Preez, B. 2022. Aspalathus secunda E.Mey. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2024/12/06 |
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