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Adenium swazicum

Assessor: Sarah Schumann

Sensitive in 2010
No
Family
Apocynaceae
Reason for the sensitivity status
This species is threatened with collection of wild individuals for medicinal and horticultural use. A declining population size with existing threats makes this species vulnerable to further population loss. Recruitment and recovery from harvesting may be poor.
This species is extremely rare in the wild and is known to be exploited, utilised or traded. The localities of remaining populations need to be protected to avoid any further exploitation, which is likely to drive it to extinction.
Exploitation extent
Significant - wild individuals of the species are known to be exploited, collected, traded or utilized in a targeted manner, and utilisation is widespread, affects the majority of wild populations and/or is causing rapid decline of the wild population.
Justification and references

According to the SANBI Red List Assessment, this species is Vulnerable as it is experiencing rapid population decline due to habitat loss, degradation, and collection of wild individuals for medicinal and horticultural use (Lötter & von Staden, 2018).

Lötter, M. & von Staden, L. 2018. Adenium swazicum Stapf. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.

Population vulnerability
Population is vulnerable: size is <= 2500 mature individuals OR the number of known subpopulations is <= 5 OR range is <= 100km2 OR species at risk of localised extinctions
Justification and references

This taxon's population has declined by 20% since 1990 and is expected to become locally extinct in its 44% of distribution that is not within a protected area, declining to 30-40% by 2048 (three generations).

Lötter, M. & von Staden, L. 2018. Adenium swazicum Stapf. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.

Targeted demographics
Mature (breeding) individuals are killed, significantly weakened or are permanently removed from the wild, OR immature individuals are targeted and this significantly impacts mature (breeding) individuals.
Justification and references

Whole individuals are collected from the wild (Lötter & von Staden, 2018).

Lötter, M. & von Staden, L. 2018. Adenium swazicum Stapf. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.

Regeneration potential
This species has a slow population growth rate, or the growth rate varies depending on habitat, and there is a poor chance the wild populations will recover from exploitation OR a collector might feasibly harvest the entire extant population removing the chance of subsequent recruitment.
Justification and references

This taxon is long-lived and ongoing population decline can lower its levels of recruitment (Lötter & von Staden, 2018).

Lötter, M. & von Staden, L. 2018. Adenium swazicum Stapf. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.

Reference file
Adenium swazicum Threatened Species Programme _ SANBI Red List of South African Plants.pdf748.93 KB