Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: Perdeblom

Family: Iridaceae (Iris)

Distribution: Bokkeveld Escarpment and Calvinia.

Habitat: Dolerite clays on vertisol soils

IUCN Red list: Not evaluated

National red list: Near Threatened

Life form: Geophyte (bulb, corm or tuber - seasonally dormant)

Comments: The showy species only found at Nieuwoudtville area on Dolerite Vertisols of the central plain across a few kilometres. Some of this habitat has already been ploughed for farming, and any further conversion of the potentially agriculturally valuable soils would rapidly reduce current populations to near extinction. The yellow form, which is now very rare, if not extinct, grew immediately around Nieuwoudtville and has been the most impacted by agricultural activities. Climate change is also likely to affect this species that only flowers after good rains, with frequent drought cycles now occuring. The overall impact of threats is currently unknown and monitoring is required to determine if populations are still declining.