Phylica polifolia

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
PLANTAE	TRACHEOPHYTA	MAGNOLIOPSIDA	RHAMNALES	RHAMNACEAE

Scientific Name:

Phylica polifolia

Species Authority:

(Vahl) Pillans

Common Name/s:

English

–

Rosemary, St Helena Rosemary

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered B2ab(v) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2003

Assessor/s:

Cairns-Wicks, R.

Reviewer/s:

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

Contributor/s:

History:

1998	–	Critically Endangered (Oldfield et al. 1998)
1998	–	Critically Endangered
1997	–	Endangered (Walter and Gillett 1998)

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Formerly widespread in the west of the island, for instance at Rosemary Plain, which derives its name from the former occurrence of this plant. P. polifolia is now reduced to three small subpopulations on trachytic or phonolilic cliffs at High Hill, Lot, and between Distant Cottage and the Asses Ears, 500-600 m. The total population size is about 100 plants.

Population:

Formerly widespread in the west of the island, for instance at Rosemary Plain, which derives its name from the former occurrence of this plant. P. polifolia is now reduced to three small subpopulations on trachytic or phonolilic cliffs at High Hill, Lot, and between Distant Cottage and the Asses Ears, 500-600 m. The total population size is about 100 plants.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Formerly a small tree to 3 m, P. polifolia now exists in two growth forms; one a a low, usually straggling bush found at High Hill and the other an erect growing bush found at Lot. These phenotypic differences have been maintained when planted at the Environmental Conservation Section Nursery, Scotland. Subpopulations have been reduced to dry locations on cliffs.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Vulnerable to competition from introduced plants. Growing on or below rock outcrops the populations are also vulverable to stochastic factors.

Major Threat(s):

Vulnerable to competition from introduced plants. Growing on or below rock outcrops the populations are also vulverable to stochastic factors.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Captive subpopulations have been established at the Environmental Conservation Section Nursery, Scotland, and at the Castle Gardens, Jamestown. The plants grow well in captivity although the currently number stands at less than 20. Th Draft Recovery Action Plan for P. polifolia puts forward a number of recovery action objectives to encourage the long-term persistence of the Rosemary, through co-ordinated and agreed action between the members of the Species Recovery Working Group, the Environmental Conservation Section of the ANRD, and the SNCG. The specific objectives are: 1. to maintain and encourage the growth of Rosemary’s at Lot and High Hill; 2. to expand the field gene bank at Scotland for the Lot population and to establish others at Plantation (High Hill), Peak Dale/Norman Williams Nature Reserve and the Millennium Forest; 3. encourage ‘guardians’ for other plantations of rosemary; and 4. to maintain ex situ stocks at RBG Kew and Eden Project and establish long-term seed storage at Wakehurst Place Seed Bank.

Conservation Actions:

Captive subpopulations have been established at the Environmental Conservation Section Nursery, Scotland, and at the Castle Gardens, Jamestown. The plants grow well in captivity although the currently number stands at less than 20.

Th Draft Recovery Action Plan for P. polifolia puts forward a number of recovery action objectives to encourage the long-term persistence of the Rosemary, through co-ordinated and agreed action between the members of the Species Recovery Working Group, the Environmental Conservation Section of the ANRD, and the SNCG. The specific objectives are:

1. to maintain and encourage the growth of Rosemary’s at Lot and High Hill;
2. to expand the field gene bank at Scotland for the Lot population and to establish others at Plantation (High Hill), Peak Dale/Norman Williams Nature Reserve and the Millennium Forest;
3. encourage ‘guardians’ for other plantations of rosemary; and
4. to maintain ex situ stocks at RBG Kew and Eden Project and establish long-term seed storage at Wakehurst Place Seed Bank.

Citation:	Cairns-Wicks, R. 2003. Phylica polifolia. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 May 2013.
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