Assessor: Sarah Schumann
According to the IUCN Red List Assessment, this species is Critically Endangered as it is experiencing population decline due to the threat of illegal collection of mature individuals for the international trade in ornamental succulents in 2020-21 as well as anthropogenic climate change (Young, 2022).Collecting pressure is likely to increase in the future as the number of species and volume of plants targeted within the genus since 2019 has increased (Young, 2022). As of 2019, this genus has become popular in trade and there is a high demand from international and domestic horticultural markets for wild collected plants as indicated by media, police reports and several online marketplace, e-commerce, and auction sites (Friedman, 2021; Trenchard, 2021; Hyman, 2020). Plants of this genus were among those targeted and confiscated during a recent criminal prosecution of illegal plant collecting (Tshuma, 2021; Majikela, 2020; Myburgh, 2021). This species was also recently found in the illegal possession of 18 people arrested by the police (Tshuma, 2021). There has been several recorded confiscations of the species and others of the genus from illegal plant collection (Confiscation Lists (2019-2021) provided by Cape Nature, SANBI Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden, SANBI Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, SANParks Sendelingsdrift Botanic Garden and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment). This suggests that this genus and species is being targeted and that this species is threatened.
Hyman, A. 2020. 1 February 2020. Koreans fined R5m as poachers target SA's succulent treasure chest. Times Live. Available at: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-02-01-koreans-fined-r5m-as-poachers-target-sas-succulent-treasure-chest/
Friedman, B. 2021. 24 May 2021. South Africa targeted for rare plant poaching placing biodiversity at risk. Cape Talk. Available at: https://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/417213/south-africa-targeted-for-rare-plant-poaching-placing-biodiversity-at-risk
Majikela, M. 2020. 31 January 2020. Hefty sentencing for possession of Conophytum plants. Media Statement. South African Police Service Office of the Provincial Commissioner Western Cape. Available at: https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroommsspeechdetail.php?nid=24491
Myburgh, A. 2021. 20 January 2021. Man behind bars for possession of endangered plants (Conophytum). Media Statement South African Police Service, Office of the Provincial Commissioner North West. Available at: https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=24491
Trenchard, T. 2021. 31 July 2021. In South Africa, Poachers Now Traffic in Tiny Succulent Plants. The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/31/world/africa/south-africa-poachers-tiny-succulent-plants.html
Tshuma, N. 2021. 20 May 2021. Collectors drive a spike in theft of indigenous plants in the Western Cape. IOL. Available at: https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/collectors-drive-a-spike-in-theft-of-indigenous-plants-in-the-western-cape-e120f529-741b-43a7-8454-cb8f69544878
Young, A. 2022. (assessment in prep 2022)Conophytum ficiforme. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
This species is widespread and locally abundant with an extent of occurrence of 1079km² and an estimated population size of between 30 000-100 000 mature individuals (Young, 2022). More than 12 000 plants have been removed from habitat between 2019-2021 (Young, 2022).
Young, A. 2022. (assessment in prep 2022)Conophytum ficiforme. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Whole individuals are recorded in confiscations.
Regeneration potential for the vast majority of the Conophytum genus is very poor as recruitment is low and dependent on successive, appropriate weather conditions. Seeds are not known to disperse. Regeneration will take decades. (Young, personal communication 2021, 5 October)