Assessor: Sarah Schumann
All South African cycads as well as this species is included in Appendix I of the CITES Convention which lists all species threatened with extinction that are, or may be affected by trade. According to the SANBI Red List Assessment, this species is Vulnerable (Based on latest unpublished Red List Assessment) (Bösenberg. DW, personal communication 2021, 1 December) as it is threatened by collecting and bark harvesting and the population is declining (Donaldson 2009). Cycad species are in trade demand and at risk from illegal collection (Smith 2014; Yeld 2014). Studies present strong evidence of ongoing and accelerating rates of decline in most cycad species due mainly to illegal removal (Okubamichael et al. 2016; Cousins & Witkowski 2017). Research shows that this species is among the 25 of 37 Encephalartos species that is being utilised for traditional medicine (Cousins, 2012) A study shows that this species is illegally harvested for medicinal trade and has been identified for sale at two traditional medicine markets in South Africa (Williamson et al. 2016). Mortality of individuals for medicinal purposes were accounted for by Okubamichael et al. (2016). The CITES Trade Database has recorded the trade of the species from 1978-2020 for commercial, personal, scientific, education, artificial propagation, travelling exhibition and botanical garden purposes. Sourced from artificial propagation, taken from the wild, and confiscated or seized. This all suggests that this genus is being targeted and that this species may be at risk.
CITES trade statistics derived from the CITES Trade Database, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK.
Cousins, S.R., Williams, V.L., & Witkowski, E.T.F. 2012. Uncovering the cycad taxa (Encephalartos species) traded for traditional medicine in Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa. South African Journal of Botany, 78, 129–138. DOI:10.1016/j.sajb.2011.06.001
Cousins, S.R. and Witkowski, E.T.F., 2017. African cycad ecology, ethnobotany and conservation: a synthesis. The Botanical Review, 83(2), pp.152-194.
Donaldson, J.S. 2009. Encephalartos natalensis R.A.Dyer & I.Verd. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
Okubamichael, D. Y., S. L. Jack, J. D. Bösenberg, M. T. Hoffman & J. S. Donaldson. 2016. Repeat photography confirms alarming decline in south African cycads. Biodiversity Conservation 25(11): 2153–2170.
Williamson, J., Maurin, O., Shiba, S.N.S., Van der Bank, H., Pfab, M., Pilusa, M., Kabongo, R.M. and Van der Bank, M., 2016. Exposing the illegal trade in cycad species (Cycadophyta: Encephalartos) at two traditional medicine markets in South Africa using DNA barcoding. Genome, 59(9), pp.771-781.
According to the IUCN Red List, there are between 8 300-12 000 mature individuals remaining in the wild (Donaldson 2010). The population is thought to have declined by less than 30% in the past 60 years (Donaldson 2009).
Donaldson, J.S. 2009. Encephalartos natalensis R.A.Dyer & I.Verd. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
Donaldson, J.S. 2010. Encephalartos natalensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T41937A10605143. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T41937A10605143.en
The CITES Trade Database has recorded the trade of live individuals, dried plants and seeds. Mature individuals are removed from the wild and bark harvesting is also taking place causing population decline (Donaldson 2009).
CITES trade statistics derived from the CITES Trade Database, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK.
Donaldson, J.S. 2009. Encephalartos natalensis R.A.Dyer & I.Verd. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1
Currently there are fairly large populations in the wild and removal of the entire extant population is not likely (Bösenberg. DW, personal communication 2021, 1 December).