Draft
Common Names: No Common Names
Synonyms: No Synonyms
| Red List Status | |
|---|---|
| CR - Critically Endangered, B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii); D (IUCN version 3.1) | |
| Possibly Extinct: | Yes |
| Possibly Extinct in the Wild: | No |
| Date Last Recorded (in the wild): | 1957 |
Is the reassessment subject to the 5-year rule? (Not specified)
Date of Assessment: 2023-01-26
Reviewed? (Not specified)
Assessor(s): Braun, K.
Reviewer(s): (Not specified)
Contributor(s): (Not specified)
Facilitators/Compilers: (Not specified)
Institution(s): (Not specified)
Acknowledgements: (Not specified)
Regions: Global
Regional Expert Questions: (Not specified)
Pachycarpus stelliceps is only known from the Mbabane area
in Eswatini, from two records. One of the localities has since
been developed as part of the urban area, and the other does not have
detailed locality information. As this species is only known from
within an urban area, there is an ongoing threat of urban expansion
which might have a direct impact on the habitat for this plant.
The very limited known distribution qualifies this species for a
Vulnerable listing. However, based on the ongoing loss of habitat
combined with its small area of occupancy and lack of recent records, it
is assessed as Critically Endangered.
Most recent record: 1956
Reason(s) for Change in Red List Category from the Previous Assessment: (Not specified)
Red List Index: (Not specified)
This species is only known from the Mbabane area in Eswatini.
| Estimated area of occupancy (AOO) - in km2 | Justification |
|---|---|
| 4 | This species is known from two specimens, one without detailed locality information, the other from an area which has since been developed. The estimated area of occupancy was calculated using GeoCAT (Bachman et al. 2011), with the standard 2x2 km grid cell being applied. |
Continuing decline in area of occupancy (AOO): (Not specified)
Extreme fluctuations in area of occupancy (AOO): (Not specified)
| Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO)- in km2 | EOO estimate calculated from Minimum Convex Polygon | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | true | This species is known from two specimens. With only one accurate occurrence record it is not possible to calculate EOO, so the area of occupancy has been used. |
| Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO) | Qualifier | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | - | - |
Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO): (Not specified)
| Number of Locations | Justification |
|---|---|
| 1 | This species is known from only two records, one without detailed locality information, the other has since been developed as an urban area. |
| Continuing decline in number of locations | Qualifier | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | - | - |
| Extreme fluctuations in the number of locations | Justification |
|---|---|
| Unknown | - |
| Very restricted in area of occupancy (AOO) and/or # of locations | Justification |
|---|---|
| Yes | The two records for this species are both from the Mbabane area, one without detailed locality information. The more detailed locality is from within an area that has since been developed into a township. |
Elevation Lower Limit (in metres above sea level): 1150
Elevation Upper Limit (in metres above sea level): 1375
Depth Lower Limit (in metres below sea level): (Not specified)
Depth Upper Limit (in metres below sea level): (Not specified)
Depth Zone: (Not specified)
Map Status: (Not specified)
Biogeographic Realm: Afrotropical
| Country | Presence | Origin | Formerly Bred | Seasonality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eswatini | Extant | Native | - | - |
Large Marine Ecosystems: (Not specified)
FAO Marine Areas: (Not specified)
Known only from two records, one from 1905, the other 1957, it is possible that there were two subpopulations of this species This species was first collected by H. Bolus in 1905, from the Mbabane area. No detailed locality information is available for this collection. A second record of this species is now known, a specimen collected by Prof. Compton in 1967 which is in the Pretoria Herbarium was re-named P. stelliceps in 2014. This specimen was collected from Stroma, a farm at the time, now developed as Nkwalini. It is likely that the precise locality where this plant was found fell within the development area, but there are adjacent hills where it might be found again.
Current Population Trend: Unknown
Number of mature individuals (=population size): 0
Extreme fluctuations? (in # of mature individuals): (Not specified)
Severely fragmented? (Not specified)
Continuing decline in mature individuals? (Not specified)
Continuing decline % in mature individuals within 1 generation or 3 years, whichever is longer (up to max. of 100 years in the future): (Not specified)
Continuing decline % in mature individuals within 2 generations or 5 years, whichever is longer (up to max. of 100 years in the future): (Not specified)
Continuing decline % in mature individuals within 3 generations or 10 years, whichever is longer (up to max. of 100 years in the future): (Not specified)
Extreme fluctuations in the number of subpopulations: (Not specified)
Continuing decline in number of subpopulations: (Not specified)
All individuals in one subpopulation: (Not specified)
Number of mature individuals in largest subpopulation: (Not specified)
Number of Subpopulations: (Not specified)
Percent Change in past: (Not specified)
Past Population Reduction Basis: (Not specified)
Causes of past reduction reversible? (Not specified)
Causes of past reduction understood? (Not specified)
Causes of past reduction ceased? (Not specified)
Percent Change in future: (Not specified)
Future Population Reduction Basis: (Not specified)
Both: Percent Change over any 10 year or 3 generation period, whichever is longer, and must include both past and future, future can't go beyond 100 years: (Not specified)
Both Population Reduction Basis: (Not specified)
Causes of both (past and future) reduction reversible? (Not specified)
Causes of both (past and future) reduction understood? (Not specified)
Causes of both (past and future) reduction ceased? (Not specified)
Probability of extinction in the wild within 3 generations or 10 years, whichever is longer, maximum 100 years: (Not specified)
Probability of extinction in the wild within 5 generations or 20 years, whichever is longer, maximum 100 years: (Not specified)
Probability of extinction in the wild within 100 years: (Not specified)
This species is known from the type specimen, with a locality of Mbabane, without any further detail, and from Farm Stroma the Mbabane area, now developed as Nkwalini. The area is mountainous, with habitats including open sourveld grassland, granite rock outcrops, small pockets of forest, and streams and small vlei systems. The second record label information indicates this plant was found amongst rocks, with a hilltop locality, so it has been assumed that the habitat for this species is rocky hilltops. The vegetation type for the area is KaNgwane Montane Grassland (Gm16) (Mucina et. al., 2018).
| Habitat | Season | Suitability | Major Importance? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.7. Grassland -> Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude | - | Suitable | - |
| Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat? | Qualifier | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Inferred | Expansion of the city of Mbabane |
Generation Length: (Not specified)
Age at maturity: female or unspecified: (Not specified)
Age at Maturity: Male: (Not specified)
Size at Maturity (in cms): Female: (Not specified)
Size at Maturity (in cms): Male: (Not specified)
Longevity: (Not specified)
Average Reproductive Age: (Not specified)
Maximum Size (in cms): (Not specified)
Size at Birth (in cms): (Not specified)
Gestation Time: (Not specified)
Reproductive Periodicity: (Not specified)
Average Annual Fecundity or Litter Size: (Not specified)
Annual Rate of Population Increase: (Not specified)
Natural Mortality: (Not specified)
Does the species lay eggs? (Not specified)
Does the species give birth to live young: (Not specified)
Does the species exhibit parthenogenesis: (Not specified)
Does the species have a free-living larval stage? (Not specified)
Does the species require water for breeding? (Not specified)
Movement Patterns: (Not specified)
Congregatory: (Not specified)
System: Terrestrial
Wild relative of a crop? (Not specified)
Plant and Fungal Growth Forms: (Not specified)
Species not utilized: (Not specified)
No use/trade information for this species: (Not specified)
General notes regarding trade and use of this species: (Not specified)
Local Livelihood: (Not specified)
National Commercial Value: (Not specified)
International Commercial Value: (Not specified)
End Use: (Not specified)
Is there harvest from captive/cultivated sources of this species? (Not specified)
Trend in level of total offtake from wild sources: (Not specified)
Trend in level of total offtake from domesticated sources: (Not specified)
Harvest Trend Comments: (Not specified)
Non-consumptive use of the species? (Not specified)
Explanation of non-consumptive use: (Not specified)
Livelihoods: (Not specified)
The two known specimens, from 1905 and 1957 was recorded as being from the Mbabane area, but one with no detailed locality information. The second record was from an area now urban area (Nkwalini). As the area has developed considerably over the intervening years, it is possible that this species is now extinct as a result. However, there are areas of natural vegetation still remaining nearby, so it is not impossible that future surveys could find this species.
No past, ongoing, or future threats exist to this species. (Not specified)
The threats to this species are unknown. (Not specified)
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1. Residential & commercial development -> Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | - | - |
There is currently no conservation within the general area where this species was recorded. If this species is found on nearby hills, conservation actions to prevent its extinction would be desirable.
| Action Recovery Plan | Note |
|---|---|
| No | - |
| Systematic monitoring scheme | Note |
|---|---|
| No | - |
| Conservation sites identified | Note |
|---|---|
| No | - |
| Occur in at least one PA | Note |
|---|---|
| No | - |
| Percentage of population protected by PAs (0-100) | Note |
|---|---|
| 0 | - |
Area based regional management plan: (Not specified)
| Invasive species control or prevention | Note |
|---|---|
| No | - |
| Harvest management plan | Note |
|---|---|
| No | - |
| Successfully reintroduced or introduced benignly | Note |
|---|---|
| No | - |
| Subject to ex-situ conservation | Note |
|---|---|
| No | - |
| Subject to recent education and awareness programmes | Note |
|---|---|
| No | - |
| Included in international legislation | Note |
|---|---|
| No | - |
| Subject to any international management/trade controls | Note |
|---|---|
| No | - |
| Conservation Actions | Note |
|---|---|
| 1.2. Land/water protection -> Resource & habitat protection | Very little information is currently available on this species, but based on the locality information for the record collected by Prof. Compton in 1956, it would appear to be found in rocky grassland on hilltop areas. This habitat contains many potentially threatened plant species, so the introduction of some form of protection for this habitat in the Mbabane area would reduce the probability of loss of many of these species. |
| 3.4.2. Species management -> Ex-situ conservation -> Genome resource bank | If this plant can be located again, collection of seed for ex-situ conservation would be a way of ensuring the survival of this species. |
| Research | Note |
|---|---|
| 1.2. Research -> Population size, distribution & trends | - |
| 1.3. Research -> Life history & ecology | - |
| Insufficient Information Available | All coded services should have an importance score of 5 - Not Known. |
|---|---|
| true | - |
Species provides no ecosystem services: (Not specified)
Ecosystem Services: (Not specified)
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.