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Scientific Name | Leucadendron platyspermum R.Br. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | PROTEACEAE |
Common Names | Kraaltolbos (a), Plate-seed Conebush (e) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Least Concern |
Assessment Date | 2020/07/20 |
Assessor(s) | A.G. Rebelo, H. Mtshali & D. Raimondo |
Justification | This is a popular species in the cut flower industry and the assessment of its status is complicated by the great increase in the population size in the past 50 years due to planting in orchards and in bush-cut and burned fynbos. Both wild and planted stands are heavily exploited. Up to the 1980s only female cones were harvested from orchards which led to low canopy seed stores and post-fire population collapses. This also caused heavy pressure on wild populations where female cones were harvested to provide seeds for orchards. Currently only males are harvested so seed banks are large and extensive. If market preferences were to change, however, the population could decline rapidly, especially if planted individuals were to be replaced by other species. It would however be very difficult to estimate what proportion of the wild population could decline, as almost all wild and planted subpopulations are intensively managed for harvesting today and planting predates three generations. While market and wild orchard management trends need to be carefully monitored to check for future decline, currently this species is assessed as Least Concern due to the population being either stable or increasing. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | Leucadendron platyspermum occurs in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, from Villiersdorp and Kleinmond, through to the Elim Flats. It has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 3280-3304 km². |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | South Sonderend Sandstone Fynbos, Overberg Sandstone Fynbos, Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos, Elim Ferricrete Fynbos |
Description | Due to extensive planting for the cut flower industry it is not clear what the original habitat of L. platyspermum was. Mature individuals are killed by fires, and only seeds survive. Wind-dispersed seeds are stored in fire-resistant inflorescences, and released after fires. It is dioecious, with insect-pollinated male and female flowers occurring on separate plants. |
Threats |
| This species is used extensively in the cut flower industry, and population trends are closely linked to market preferences, which change unpredictably. In the 1980s, female cones were very popular, resulting in severe depletion of seed reserves and post-fire population crashes. Currently male cones are in fashion, and seed reserves have recovered, but there is the potential threat that female plants will be thinned out in favour of males, which again could lead to depletion of seed reserves.
Both wild and cultivated plants are harvested. Wild populations are typically increased in their native habitats through seeding. Such practises introduce foreign genetic material into populations. Non-local species are often also planted near wild populations, which often cause hybridization and genetic contamination of wild populations.
Other threats include alien invasive plants and too frequent fire. A toral of 33% of this species habitat has been lost to crop cultivation and urban development but much of this loss tool place prior to 1980 so not within the past three generations. |
Population |
It is grown extensively in protea orchards and interplanted within natural vegetation and in amongst natural subpopulations. Both wild and planted stands are heavily exploited. However, subpopulations are large and have greatly increased over the last 50 years due to the establishment both of orchards of this species and extensive interplanting in bush cut and burned Fynbos. It is not possible to evaluate only wild subpopulations as it is not possible to determine which these are. This species is thus a causative agent in the problem of veld degradation and transformation. Due to extensive planting it is not clear exactly what is its occupancy and subpopulation sizes.
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Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Leucadendron platyspermum R.Br. | VU A2cd+4d | Raimondo et al. (2009) | | Leucadendron platyspermum R.Br. | Vulnerable | Hilton-Taylor (1996) | | Leucadendron platyspermum R.Br. | Vulnerable | Hall et al. (1980) | |
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.
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.
Manning, J.C. and Goldblatt, P. 2012. Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 1: The Core Cape Flora. Strelitzia 29. 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.
Rebelo, T. 2001. Sasol Proteas: A field guide to the proteas of southern Africa. (2nd ed.). Fernwood Press, Vlaeberg, Cape Town.
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Citation |
| Rebelo, A.G., Mtshali, H. & Raimondo, D. 2020. Leucadendron platyspermum R.Br. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2024/12/06 |
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