Encephalartos relictus P.J.H.Hurter (2001:197)
Relict cycad
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Conservation Status
Extinct in the Wild (Golding & Hurter, 2003; Bösenberg, 2022; Dalrymple et al., 2023; Smith et al., 2023; Christenhusz & Govaerts, 2024; POWO, 2024)
Last wild record: 1971 (Bösenberg, 2022; Christenhusz & Govaerts, 2024)
IUCN RedList status: Extinct in the Wild
Distribution
Lebombo mountains, eSwatini (=Swaziland)
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
Photos taken by JJ. P. Du Preez of (some of) the last specimens observed in the wild in 1971 can be seen in (Calonje et al., 2023).
References
Original scientific description:
Hurter, P. J. H. (2001). Encephalartos relictus (Zamiaceae): a newly described species from southern Africa. Bothalia 31: 197-199.
Other references:
Bösenberg, J. D. (2022). Encephalartos relictus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T41764A51054439. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T41764A51054439.en. Accessed on 15 October 2023.
Calonje, M., Stevenson, D. W. and Osborne, R. (2023). The World List of Cycads, online edition [Internet]. 2013-2023. Available from: https://www.cycadlist.org/ [Accessed 20 October 2023]
Christenhusz, Maarten J. M. and Govaerts, Rafaël. (2023). Uitgestorven. Op plantenjacht rond de wereld: 1-511. Sterck & De Vreese.
Christenhusz, Maarten J. M. and Govaerts, Rafaël. (2024). Plant extinction in the Anthropocene. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boae045 [Appendix S1]
Dalrymple, S. E., Abeli, T., Ewen, J. G., Gilbert, T. C., Hogg, C. J., Lloyd, N. A., Moehrenschlager, A., Rodríguez, J. P. and Smith, D. (2023). Addressing Threats and Ecosystem Intactness to Enable Action for Extinct in the Wild Species. Diversity 15: 268. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020268
Donaldson, John S. (ed.). (2003). Cycads. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group. Gland, Switzerland & Cambridge, UK: IUCN. ix + 86 pp.
Donaldson, John S. (2010). Encephalartos relictus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T41764A10533238. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T41764A10533238.en. Downloaded on 05 June 2017.
Golding, Janice S. and Hurter, P. Johan H. (2003). A Red List account of Africa's cycads and implications of considering life-history and threats. Biodiversity & Conservation 12(3): 507-528. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022472801638
Haynes, Jody L. (2008). World list of cycads: a historical review. IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group. 35 pp.
Humphreys, Aelys M., Govaerts, Rafaël, Ficinski, Sarah Z., Lughadha, Eimear Nic and Vorontsova, Maria S. (2019). Global dataset shows geography and life form predict modern plant extinction and rediscovery. Nature Ecology & Evolution 3: 1043-1047. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0906-2 [Supplementary Dataset 1] [lists this species as Extinct]
Hurter, M. (2009). The uniqueness of a remnant - notes on Encephalartos relictus. Encephalartos. Journal of the Cycad Society of South Africa 96: 16-19.
POWO. (2024). Encephalartos relictus P.J.H.Hurter. Plants of the World Online (online resource). Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org/ [Accessed 4 February 2024]
Smith, Donal et al. (2023). Extinct in the wild: The precarious state of Earth’s most threatened group of species. Science 379(6634): eadd2889. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.add2889
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