Assessor: Sarah Schumann
According to the IUCN Red List Assessments, this species is Critically Endangered and threatened with ongoing illegal collection with well known localities (Young 2020). Several thousand plants have been removed since 2019 and this species is thought to be highly sought after by collectors with high likelihood of this remaining the case in the future (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; Tshuma 2021; Trenchard 2021; Hyman 2020; Majikela 2020; Myburgh 2021).This species was among those targeted and confiscated during recent criminal prosecutions of illegal plant collecting (Ramatseba 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 species and genus is being targeted and is threatened with over-collection.
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
Ramatseba, BM. 2021. 12 January 2021. Ten appear for dealing in protected plants. Media Statement. South African Police Service, Office of the Provincial Commissioner Northern Cape. Available at: https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=30366
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., Raimondo, D., Jabar, L. & Van Wyk, P.C.V. 2020. Conophytum globosum (N.E.Br.) N.E.Br. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
Young, A. 2022. (assessment in prep 2022) Conophytum globosum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
This species has an extent of occurrence of 758 km² with a population size thought to consist of between 20 000-40 000 mature individuals (Young 2022). At least 15 000 plants were removed between 2019-2021 with more likely but not intercepted (Young 2022).
Young, A. 2022. (assessment in prep 2022) Conophytum globosum. 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)