Adromischus conservation status

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

2. Are these species threatened with extinction?

Good news! As far as I know at present, no Adromischus deserves the highest conservation classifications of Extinct (EX, EW), Endangered (CR, EN) or Vulnerable (VU). Their habitat preference for rocky terrain means that they live in places unlikely to be developed. Their ease of propagation from leaves should alleviate any threat from excessive collection by people. Many species are widespread and all of the known taxa come from multiple populations.

The following taxa have been listed on one or another of the SA Red Data Plant Lists.

Taxon	1996 Status *	2007 Interim Global Status ***	2007 Interim SA National Status ***	Comments
A. bicolor	Insufficiently Known	Least Concern	Rare	Found across 100 km E-W from multiple populations E. Willowmore to E. Steytlerville, but sparsely documented in herbaria. Rare.
A. cooperi	Insufficiently Known	Not listed	Not listed	Reported from many high mountains across 280 km of the E. Cape. Not Threatened.
A. cristatus var. mzimvubuensis	Not listed	Least Concern	Rare	Assuming localised plants of A. cristatus from other valleys along the Indian Ocean coast are the same taxon, then it has been found across 300 km. Rare.
A. cristatus var. schonlandii	Not listed	Least Concern	Rare	Taxonomic status needs better justification. Occasional narrow-leaved forms of A. cristatus occur widely scattered. Rare, but also Data Deficient.
A. cristatus var. zeyheri	Insufficiently Known	Data Deficient	Data Deficient	TL needs to be identified with certainty. Rare, but also Data Deficient.
A. diabolicus	Indeterminate	Least Concern	Rare	Poorly documented in herbaria and doubtfully distinct from A. nanus. Needs to be refound at its TL to verify distribution. Data Deficient.
A. fallax	Indeterminate	Least Concern	Rare	Found in modern times at two places around Graaff Reinet by PVB on high escarpment cliffs. Probably more widespread at equally inaccessible places. Rare.
A. halesowensis	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed	Refound in habitat, but taxonomic status still open. Rare and Data Deficient.
A. humilis	Insufficiently Known	Least Concern	Rare	Easily confused with Tylecodon ventricosus out of flower. Documented across 140 km scattered near the Nuweveldberge. Not Threatened.
A. liebenbergii	Rare	Not listed	Not listed	Found across 150 km E-W from the southern Tanqua Karoo, around Matjiesfontein to Laingsburg. Just localised and sparse. Not Threatened.
A. mamillaris	Rare	Still to be assessed	Still to be assessed	Refound in habitat by PVB, but taxonomic status still open. Very Rare!
A. marianiae var. marianiae	Insufficiently Known	Not listed	Not listed	Found across 50 km both W. & E. of the Cederberg around Clanwilliam. Not Threatened.
A. marianiae "geyeri"	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed	Probably restricted to a small area of coastal mountains near Rosh Pinah, Namibia. Rare.
A. marianiae var. hallii	Insufficiently Known	Least Concern	Rare	Assuming inland material is the same taxon as from the TL on the coast, found across 350 km from the Sperrgebiet to E. Concordia, but poorly documented in herbaria. Not Threatened.
A. marianiae "Little Spheroid"	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed	Name not yet published, but very restricted across 30 km in the Namaqualand coastal plains, with only two herbarium records. Rare.
A. maximus	Not listed	Least Concern	Rare	From a small area around Klawer about 30 km across. Rare.
A. nanus	Rare	Not listed	Not listed	Only rarely observed because of its small size and habit of growing tucked under the sides of rocks. Found on mountains in W. Bushmanland across 90 km from S. Vioolsdrift to E. Concordia. Not Threatened.
A. phillipsiae	Insufficiently Known	Not listed	Not listed	Easily confused with Tylecodon ventricosus out of flower. Found by PVB in two centres: S. Khamiesberg and S. Roggeveldberge to Matjiesfontein. Not Threatened.
A. roanianus	Not listed	Least Concern	Rare	Taxonomic status needs better justification - A. hemisphaericus grows nearby. Data Deficient.
A. schuldtianus subsp. schuldtianus	Not listed	Data Deficient **	Data Deficient **	Localised and sparse populations reported across 600 km N-S through central Namibia. Not Threatened.
A. schuldtianus subsp. juttae	Rare	Data Deficient **	Data Deficient **	Doubtfully distinct from the typical subsp. Taxonomic status needs better justification. Data Deficient.
A. schuldtianus subsp. brandbergensis	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed	Endemic to the remote Brandberg, Namibia. Rare.
A. subviridis	Rare	Least Concern	Rare	Small and localised populations scattered across 100 km from N. Nieuwoudtville to S. Calvinia, but only one herbarium record! Rare.
A. umbraticola	Not listed	Near Threatened	Near Threatened	Historically, localised and sparse populations reported across 200 km E-W and 100 km N-S around Pretoria and Jo'burg. Not Threatened, but locals may know otherwise nowadays ...
A. umbraticola var. ramosus	Not listed	Data Deficient	Data Deficient	Localised and sparse populations reported across 250 km of Limpopo Province e.g. Blouberg, Soutpansberg, Waterberg, but only a few herbarium records. Not Threatened.

* Strelitzia 4, The Red Data List of Southern African Plants, Craig Hilton-Taylor (1996), SANBI, hard cover, A4, 117 pp. ISBN 1-874907-29-3.

** Southern African Plant Red Data Lists, Janice Golding (2002), SABONET, Pretoria, hard cover, A4, 237 pp. ISBN 1-919795-64-2.

*** SA Threatened Species Programme (TSP) Interim Red Data List .xls file (October 2007).

Last Updated: Dec 2007