Assessor: Sarah Schumann
According to the IUCN Red List Assessment, this species is Vulnerable as it is experiencing population decline due to the threat of illegal collection of mature individuals for the international trade in ornamental succulents as well as by anthropogenic climate change (Young, 2022). This taxon has been highly sought after by collectors and is thought to remain so in the future (Young, 2022). As of 2019, this genus has become popular in trade and there is a high demand from international horticultural markets for wild collected plants as indicated by media, police reports and several online marketplace, e-commerce, and auction sites (Friedman, 2021; Tshuma, 2021; Trenchard, 2021; Hyman, 2020; Young, 2020). Plants of this genus were among those targeted and confiscated during recent criminal prosecutions of illegal plant collecting (Majikela, 2020; Myburgh, 2021). There has been several recorded confiscations of the uviforme 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 subspecies may be threatened.
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
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/
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.J., Victor, J.E. & Desmet, P.G. 2015. Conophytum uviforme (Haw.) N.E.Br. subsp. uviforme. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
Young, A.J. 2020. Conophytum armianum S.A.Hammer. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
This taxon has an extent of occurrence of 11005km² with a population size thought to consist of more than 500,000 mature individuals (Young, 2022).
Young, A. 2022. (assessment in prep 2022) Conophytum uviforme subsp. uviforme. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
As plants confiscated by the authorities in South Africa have only been identified to species level all the subspecies are treated the same here and are therefore believed to have been collected illegally, causing population decline (Young, 2022).
Young, A. 2022. (assessment in prep 2022) Conophytum uviforme subsp. uviforme. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
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)