About the plant
A South African endemic, this species of red-hot poker was thought to be extinct in the wild. Then a population of 18 plants was discovered in the middle of Clairwood Racecourse, in the city of Durban, South Africa.
-
Not yet evaluated
The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species uses a set of criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of the world’s species. The ongoing mission is to evaluate every plant species in the world.
IUCN Red List Status:
Not yet evaluatedData deficientLeast concernNear threatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically endangeredExtinct in the wildExtinct -
House plantPlant makes a good indoor plant in the UK
-
Invertebrate foodPlant is eaten by native and feral animals
Facts
- Grows to 50cm tall
- Yellow flowers, narrow leaves
- Native to southern Africa
- Type specimen is in Kew’s Herbarium
- Grows best in grassy marshland
© Uli Lorimer/Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
© Emmarie Otto, via the Plant Library
© Emmarie Otto, via the Plant Library
Type specimens
At Kew we have a collection of thousands of plant and fungi specimens. A type specimen is the plant specimen, or set of specimens, on which the description and name of a new species is based.
This type specimen was collected by John Medley Wood in 1881 from Clairwood Racecourse in Durban. He also discovered another highlight of the Temperate House Encephalartos woodii, and its name commemorates this fact.
-
Not yet evaluated
The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species uses a set of criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of the world’s species. The ongoing mission is to evaluate every plant species in the world.
IUCN Red List Status:
Not yet evaluatedData deficientLeast concernNear threatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically endangeredExtinct in the wildExtinct -
House plantPlant makes a good indoor plant in the UK
-
Invertebrate foodPlant is eaten by native and feral animals