Commidendrum spurium

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
PLANTAE	TRACHEOPHYTA	MAGNOLIOPSIDA	ASTERALES	COMPOSITAE

Scientific Name:

Commidendrum spurium

Species Authority:

(G.Forst.) DC.

Common Name/s:

English

–

False Gumwood

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered B1ab(iv,v)+2ab(iv,v); C2a(i); D ver 3.1

Year Published:

2003

Assessor/s:

Cairns-Wicks, R.

Reviewer/s:

Cronk, Q. & Clubbe, C. (South Atlantic Island Plants Red List Authority)

Justification:
A small tree that is known from two isolated subpopulations. The total wild population of C. spurium is eight plants. As the species had been reduced to two tiny and reproductively isolated populations (with one individual at Coles Rock and seven at Mt Vesey), although material of the third population at Oaklands is growing at the ECS Nursery and at Edinburgh, inbreeding is inevitable and the self incompatibility (leaky) mechanism of C. spurium will reduce the amount of viable seed produced. Previous habitat loss occurred through land clearance making way for pasture and New Zealand Flax Plantations.

History:

1998

–

Critically Endangered (Oldfield et al. 1998)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Known from just eight individuals in the wild: one old plant on a cliff at Coles Rock and seven plants on a cliff (690 m.) at Mt. Vesey. The genus consists of four species, all endemic to St Helena.
Countries:	Native: Saint Helena
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	A small branching tree growing to 3 m., flowering from November to March. According to Cronk (1989) the False Gumwood would once have been a constituent species of the wet gumwood woodland which existed on the slopes and cliffs just below the central ridge (500-650 m.) and a subdominant species of the Cabbage tree woodland (600 – 750 m.).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Historically used as a fuel wood. C. spurium also suffered from habitat loss, primarily through land clearance to make way for pasture and New Zealand Flax Plantations. Current cause of continued decline is considered to be the lack of consistency in conservation efforts. This species also has a self-incompatibility mechanism, that prevents individuals sharing s-alleles from reproducting.

Major Threat(s):

Historically used as a fuel wood. C. spurium also suffered from habitat loss, primarily through land clearance to make way for pasture and New Zealand Flax Plantations.
Current cause of continued decline is considered to be the lack of consistency in conservation efforts. This species also has a self-incompatibility mechanism, that prevents individuals sharing s-alleles from reproducting.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	There is a real need to have regular site visits, weed control and annual seed collection and thereafter seed sowing. The Draft Recovery Action Plan for this species has a number of recovery action objectives, these are: 1. To care for all existing individuals in wild and cultivated sites. 2. To propagate all individuals from both wild and cultivated sites. 3. To establish seed orchards where individuals from all sites can be grown together. 4. To carry out a programme of reciprocal pollinations.

Conservation Actions:

There is a real need to have regular site visits, weed control and annual seed collection and thereafter seed sowing. The Draft Recovery Action Plan for this species has a number of recovery action objectives, these are:
1. To care for all existing individuals in wild and cultivated sites.
2. To propagate all individuals from both wild and cultivated sites.
3. To establish seed orchards where individuals from all sites can be grown together.
4. To carry out a programme of reciprocal pollinations.

Bibliography [top]

	Cairns-Wicks, R. Draft Recovery Action Plan for Commidendrum spurium (Compositae). Cronk, Q.C.B. 1989. The past and present vegetation of St Helena. Journal of Biogeography. 16: 47-64. Cronk, Q.C.B. 2000. The Endemic Flora of St. Helena. Anthony Nelson Publishers, Oswestry, UK. Eastwood, A. and Cronk, Q.C.B. 2002. Incompatibility and hybridisation in Commidendrum rotundifolium and C. spurium from St Helena: implications for ex situ management and species recovery. In: A. Eastwood. Evolution and Conservation of Commidendrum and Elaphoglossum from St Helena. Thesis for Doctor of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh. Eastwood, A., Gibby, M. and Cronk, Q.C.B. 2002. Evolution of St Helena arborescent Astereae (Asteraceae): relationships of the genera Commidendrum and Melanodendron. In: A. Eastwood. Evolution and Conservation of Commidendrum and Elaphoglossum from St Helena. Thesis for Doctor of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh. Holland, M., Cronk, Q., MacDonald, D. and Holland, M. 1986. The Endemic Flora of St. Helena. The Government of St. Helena, St Helena. IUCN. 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 November 2003. IUCN. 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 November 2003. Oldfield, S., Lusty, C. and MacKinven, A. (compilers). 1998. The World List of Threatened Trees. World Conservation Press, Cambridge, UK. Seal, U.S., Maunder, M., Pearce-Kelly, P., Mace, G. and Clark, D. 1993. Conservation assessment and management plan. St. Helena Island. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Cairns-Wicks, R. Draft Recovery Action Plan for Commidendrum spurium (Compositae).

Cronk, Q.C.B. 1989. The past and present vegetation of St Helena. Journal of Biogeography. 16: 47-64.

Cronk, Q.C.B. 2000. The Endemic Flora of St. Helena. Anthony Nelson Publishers, Oswestry, UK.

Eastwood, A. and Cronk, Q.C.B. 2002. Incompatibility and hybridisation in Commidendrum rotundifolium and C. spurium from St Helena: implications for ex situ management and species recovery. In: A. Eastwood. Evolution and Conservation of Commidendrum and Elaphoglossum from St Helena. Thesis for Doctor of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh.

Eastwood, A., Gibby, M. and Cronk, Q.C.B. 2002. Evolution of St Helena arborescent Astereae (Asteraceae): relationships of the genera Commidendrum and Melanodendron. In: A. Eastwood. Evolution and Conservation of Commidendrum and Elaphoglossum from St Helena. Thesis for Doctor of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh.

Holland, M., Cronk, Q., MacDonald, D. and Holland, M. 1986. The Endemic Flora of St. Helena. The Government of St. Helena, St Helena.

IUCN. 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 November 2003.

Oldfield, S., Lusty, C. and MacKinven, A. (compilers). 1998. The World List of Threatened Trees. World Conservation Press, Cambridge, UK.

Seal, U.S., Maunder, M., Pearce-Kelly, P., Mace, G. and Clark, D. 1993. Conservation assessment and management plan. St. Helena Island. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Citation:	Cairns-Wicks, R. 2003. Commidendrum spurium. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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