Assessment Report - Polystachya zuluensis

	IUCN Species Information Service (SIS) Toolkit
	Assessment Report

Taxonomy
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
PLANTAE	TRACHEOPHYTA	LILIOPSIDA	ASPARAGALES	ORCHIDACEAE

Scientific Name:	Polystachya zuluensis
Species Authority:	L.Bolus
Common Name/s: -
Synonym/s:	-
Taxonomic Notes:	-

Assessment Information
Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern N/A
Year Assessed:	2023
Assessor/s:	Braun, K.
Reviewer/s:
Contributor/s:
Facilitator/s:
Institutions/s:
Justification: Polystachya zuluensis has a restricted distribution, with an estimated extent of occurrence of 2,290.626 km² and an area of occupancy of 28 km². Although there is overgrazing by livestock and uncontrolled fires, this does not appear to be affecting the population of Xerophyta retinervis, on which this species is epiphytic. Based on this, it has been assessed as Least Concern. Date last seen: 2019
History:	-

Geographic Range
Range Description:	This species has a disjunct distribution, with the majority of the records being from the Eswatini highveld, and one record from the Ubombo area in KwaZulu Natal in South Africa.
Countries:	Native: Eswatini; KwaZulu-Natal;

Population
Population:	There is currently no detailed survey information for this species. For the purposes of this assessment, it has been assumed that the plant still occurs in the localities from older records, as its habitat is still present.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology
Habitat and Ecology:	This species is a pseudobulbous epiphyte or lithophyte, usually found growing on Xerophyta retinervis. The majority of the records for this species are from highveld grassland areas in Eswatini, vegetation type KaNgwane Montane Grassland (Gm16), and the one record from South Africa in Southern Lebombo Bushveld (SVI16).
List of Habitats:	4 Grassland 4.7 Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude

Threats
Major Threat(s):	Although there is ongoing habitat degradation of highveld grassland areas within Eswatini, the populations of Xerophyta retinervis, on which this species is found, are still present in heavily grazed and burnt areas.
List of Threats:	-

Conservation Actions
Conservation Actions:	This species has not been recorded from within any formally protected areas.
List of Conservation Actions:	-

Bibliography
	Bachman S, Moat J, Hill AW, de la Torre J, Scott B. 2011. Supporting Red List threat assessments with GeoCAT geospatial conservation tool. In: Smith V, Penev L (Eds) e-Infrastructure for data publishing in biodiversity science. . ZooKeys 150: 117-126. Mucina, L., Rutherford, M.C. and Powrie, L.W. (Editors). 2018. The Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Available at: http://bgis.sanbi.org/Projects/Detail/186.

Bibliography

Bachman S, Moat J, Hill AW, de la Torre J, Scott B. 2011. Supporting Red List threat assessments with GeoCAT geospatial conservation tool. In: Smith V, Penev L (Eds) e-Infrastructure for data publishing in biodiversity science. . ZooKeys 150: 117-126.
Mucina, L., Rutherford, M.C. and Powrie, L.W. (Editors). 2018. The Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Available at: http://bgis.sanbi.org/Projects/Detail/186.

Citation: