Assessor: Sarah Schumann
According to the IUCN and SANBI Red List Assessments, this species is Critically Endangered due to range restriction and high levels of population decline due to ongoing threats of illegal collecting for the horticultural trade as well as anthropogenic climate change (Young & Raimondo 2020; Young 2022). At the date of assessment, more than 50 000 mature individuals have been confiscted from poachers (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; Majikela 2020; Myburgh 2021; Trenchard 2021; Hyman 2020). This species was among those targeted and confiscated during a recent criminal prosecution of illegal plant collecting (Ramatseba 2020). 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 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. 2020. 27 June 2020. Four held with endangered plants worth R2 million. Media Statement. South African Police Service Office of the Provincial Commissioner Northern Cape. Available at: https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=26386
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. 2020. Conophytum concavum L.Bolus. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
Young, A. 2022. (assessment in prep 2022) Conophytum concavum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
This species has an extent of occurrence of 67km² with several locations in population decline (Young & Raimondo 2020). A recent assessment recorded 300 remaining individuals in the wild which may be an underestimate due to its cryptic nature and fewer than 2500 mature individuals are likely to occur (Young 2022).
Young, A.J. & Raimondo, D. 2020. Conophytum concavum L.Bolus. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
Young, A. 2022. (assessment in prep 2022) Conophytum concavum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Whole individuals are recorded in confiscations.
With a restricted range this species is vulnerable to population loss (Young & Rodgerson, 2016). Ongoing population decline and threats including exploitation (Young 2022) place the persistence of this species at risk. 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)
Young, A.J. and Rodgerson, C., 2016. The dwarf succulent genus Conophytum NE Br.: distribution, habitat and conservation. Aloe, 52(2).
Young, A. 2022. (assessment in prep 2022) Conophytum concavum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.