Red List Status
EN - Endangered, B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) (IUCN version 3.1)

Red List Assessment

Red List Status

Is the reassessment subject to the 5-year rule? (Not specified)

Assessment Information

Date of Assessment: 2023-01-29

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)

Assessment Rationale

Thesium infundibulare has a restricted distribution, with an estimated extent of occurrence of 3,803.442 km² and an area of occupancy of 20 km². There are ongoing threats to this species from overgrazing by livestock over much of its range. Based on the information available at the time of assessment, it would qualify as Vulnerable under Criterion D based on its very restricted area of occupancy, but due to the threat to its habitat from overgrazing by livestock, it has been assessed as Endangered under Criteria B1 and B2.
Date last seen: 1996

Reasons for Change

Reason(s) for Change in Red List Category from the Previous Assessment: (Not specified)

Red List Index

Red List Index: (Not specified)

Distribution

Geographic Range

This species is known from the Eswatini highveld and from near Vryheid in South Africa. The geo-referencing of older records is a rough estimate, due to the limited information available, so this might affect the elevations and the estimated extent of occurrence. It is likely that this species is very under-collected as it is easily overlooked.

Area of Occupancy (AOO)

Estimated area of occupancy (AOO) - in km2	Justification
20	The estimated area of occupancy is based on five records for this species, calculated using GeoCAT (Bachman et al. 2011), with the standard 2x2 km grid cell being applied.

Continuing decline in area of occupancy (AOO)	Qualifier	Justification
Unknown	-	-

Extreme fluctuations in area of occupancy (AOO)	Justification
Unknown	-

Extent of Occurrence (EOO)

Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO)- in km2	EOO estimate calculated from Minimum Convex Polygon	Justification
3803.442	-	The estimated extent of occurrence is based on five records, calculated using GeoCAT (Bachman et al. 2011). This is a rough estimate as the older records do not include precise locality information.

Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO)	Qualifier	Justification
Unknown	-	-

Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO): (Not specified)

Locations Information

Number of Locations	Justification
5	The estimated number of locations is based on five records for this species. It is likely that this species is under-collected as it is easily overlooked, and there may well be more locations.

Continuing decline in number of locations	Qualifier	Justification
Unknown	-	-

Extreme fluctuations in the number of locations: (Not specified)

Very restricted AOO or number of locations (triggers VU D2)

Very restricted in area of occupancy (AOO) and/or # of locations	Justification
Yes	Based on currently known records for this species, the area of occupancy is 20 km2, with five known locations. It is possible that further fieldwork will find this species in additional localities.

Elevation / Depth / Depth Zones

Elevation Lower Limit (in metres above sea level): 540

Elevation Upper Limit (in metres above sea level): 1560

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

Map Status: (Not specified)

Biogeographic Realms

Biogeographic Realm: Afrotropical

Country	Presence	Origin	Formerly Bred	Seasonality
Eswatini	Extant	Native	-	Resident
South Africa -> KwaZulu-Natal	Extant	Native	-	Resident

Population

There is no detailed population survey information for this species. For the purposes of this assessment, it has been assumed that this species still occurs at localities from older records as the habitat still exists, and more fieldwork might find this plant at more localities as it is likely to have been under collected.

Population Information

Current Population Trend: Unknown

Number of mature individuals (=population size): (Not specified)

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)

Population Reduction - Past

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)

Population Reduction - Future

Percent Change in future: (Not specified)

Future Population Reduction Basis: (Not specified)

Population Reduction - Ongoing

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)

Quantitative Analysis

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)

Habitats and Ecology

This species has been found on rocky outcrops in grassland areas. In Eswatini it has been recorded from three vegetation types, namely KaNgwane Montane Grassland (Gm16), Barberton Montane Grassland (Gm17) and Ithala Quartzite Sourveld (Gs2). In South Africa, it has been recorded from Northern Zululanad Mistbelt Grassland (Gs1) (Mucina et. al. 2018).

IUCN Habitats Classification Scheme

General Habitat Information: (Not specified)

Continuing Decline in Habitat

Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat?	Qualifier	Justification
Yes	Inferred	Apart from the locality within Malolotja Nature Reserve, the is likely to be ongoing habitat degradation in the areas where this species has been recorded.

Life History

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

Movement Patterns: (Not specified)

Congregatory: (Not specified)

Systems

System: Terrestrial

Plant / Fungi Specific

Wild relative of a crop? (Not specified)

Plant and Fungal Growth Forms: (Not specified)

Use and Trade

General Use and Trade Information

Species not utilized: (Not specified)

No use/trade information for this species: true

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

Non-consumptive use of the species? (Not specified)

Explanation of non-consumptive use: (Not specified)

Livelihoods

Livelihoods: (Not specified)

Threats

Apart from the locality within Malolotja Nature Reserve, the is likely to be ongoing habitat degradation in the areas where this species has been recorded. The record from within the Mbabane urban area only has approximate locality information, so it is not known whether it has been affected by urban expansion. Most of the highveld grassland areas outside of protected areas are subject to ongoing heavy grazing and burning.

Threats Classification Scheme

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	Minority (<50%)	Rapid Declines
2.3.2. Agriculture & aquaculture -> Livestock farming & ranching -> Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing	Majority (50-90%)	Slow, Significant Declines

Conservation

This species has been recorded from within Malolotja Nature Reserve, but the other known localities are all outside formally protected areas.

Conservation Actions In- Place

Action Recovery Plan	Note
No	-

Systematic monitoring scheme	Note
No	-

Conservation sites identified	Note
No	-

Occur in at least one PA	Note
Yes	This species has been recorded from within Malolotja Nature Reserve.

Percentage of population protected by PAs (0-100)	Note
11-20	-

Area based regional management plan	Note
No	-

Invasive species control or prevention	Note
Yes	There are invasive species control measures carried out within Malolotja Nature Reserve.

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	-

Important Conservation Actions Needed

Conservation Actions	Note
1.2. Land/water protection -> Resource & habitat protection	Much of the highveld grassland within Eswatini is subject to ongoing heavy grazing and burning, resulting in habitat degradation, so there is a need for protection measures for this vegetation type.
3.4.2. Species management -> Ex-situ conservation -> Genome resource bank	No material has yet been collected for the ex-situ conservation of this species.

Research Needed

Research	Note
1.2. Research -> Population size, distribution & trends	It is likely that this species has been overlooked in many areas, so there is a need for fieldwork to better determine its distribution, as well as information on population trends.

Thesium infundibulare - N.Visser & M.M.le Roux