Assessor: Sarah Schumann
According to the SANBI and IUCN Red List Assessments, this species is Critically Endangered as its range is extremely restricted and its population is declining due to ongoing illegal collection for the succulent horticultural trade as well as anthropogenic climate change and habitat degradation from livestock trampling (Young & Raimondo 2020; Young 2022). Illegal collection is likely to increase in the future as the number of species and volume of plants targeted within the genus since 2019 has increased (Youn 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; Young 2020). Plants of this genus were among those targeted and confiscated during recent criminal prosecutions of illegal plant collecting (Majikela 2020; Myburgh 2021) (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. This species population is small, highly localised and slow growing whereby ongoing removal of individuals could lead to its extinction (Young & Raimondo 2020).
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. 2020. Conophytum armianum S.A.Hammer. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
Young, A.J. & Raimondo, D. 2020. Conophytum chrisolum S.A.Hammer. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
Young, A. 2022. (assessment in prep 2022) Conophytum chrisolum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
This species has an extent of occurrence of less than a 0.5 km² with an estimated population size of less than 1000 mature individuals (Young & Raimondo 2020; Young 2022)
Young, A.J. & Raimondo, D. 2020. Conophytum chrisolum S.A.Hammer. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
Young, A. 2022. (assessment in prep 2022) Conophytum chrisolum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Mature individuals are removed from the wild (Young & Raimondo 2020).(Young & Raimondo 2020)
Young, A.J. & Raimondo, D. 2020. Conophytum chrisolum S.A.Hammer. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
This species is slow growing and its restricted range makes it vulnerable to population loss whereby ongoing removal of individuals could lead to its extinction (Young & Raimondo 2020; Hammer 2002; Young & Desmet 2016). 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)
Hammer, S. 2002. Dumpling and his wife: New view of the genus Conophytum. EAE Creative Colour, Norwich.
Young, A.J. and Desmet, P.G., 2016. The distribution of the dwarf succulent genus Conophytum NE Br.(Aizoaceae) in southern Africa. Bothalia-African Biodiversity & Conservation, 46(1), pp.1-13.
Young, A.J. & Raimondo, D. 2020. Conophytum chrisolum S.A.Hammer. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.