Aloe polyphylla
(Kharatsa)
Conservation status: endangered
Description: Leaves
spine-tipped with the distinctive spiral arrangement, flowers pale red to
salmon.
Distribution: Maloti mountains.
Endemic to Lesotho
Population biology: not known
Rarity: narrow
distribution
Legal status: protected, CITES 1
Threats: colonies
harvested for sale
Urgency for conservation: high priority
Future
needs: Large scale nursery propagation to counter-balance the depletion of
wild populations
Guthriea capense
Conservation status: vulnerable
Description:
Shiny
green leaves. Starts flowering in October. Prefers partial sun
Distribution:
Maloti
mountains
Population
biology: not known
Rarity:
narrow
distribution
Legal status:
Threats:
habitat
loss due to grazing
Urgency
for conservation: medium priority
Future
needs: Large scale nursery propagation to counter-balance the depletion of
wild populations
Thamnocalamus tessellatus
(Leqala)
Conservation status: Vulnerable
Description: tallest grass in
Lesotho, known to flower after several years. in which plants die.
Distribution: River valleys
with altitude ranging from 1860 to 2400 meters above sea level in almost all
Districts
Population biology: known sites have
declining populations
Rarity:
Legal status: protected,
Threats: habitat loss,
invasive plants and fires
Urgency for conservation: medium priority
Future needs: Large scale
nursery propagation to counter-balance the depletion of wild populations
Protea caffra (Sekila or
Seqalaba)
Conservation status: endangered
Description: Leaves pale to
blue green, flowering in November
Distribution: Known from
sandstone escarpment in the North and south of the country
Population biology: Known to be extinct in
the South to South East of Lesotho.
Rarity: narrow and
disjunct distribution, and low abundance
Legal status: protected,
Threats: Harvested for
fuel wood, habitat loss which human induced
Urgency for conservation: high priority
Future needs: Large scale
nursery propagation to counter-balance the depletion of wild populations
Pseudobarbus quathlambae -
Maloti minnow (Thoboshana)
Conservation status: Critically endangered
Description: Distribution: Maloti mountains
Population biology: Two Distinct population groups known as
Evolutionary Significant Units (ESU) comprising of Mohale and Eastern Lesotho.
Mohale comprises 77 % of total extent of occurrence of minnow.
Rarity: narrow distribution, currently found in seven rivers
in Lesotho
Legal status: protected,
Threats: habitat loss induced
by humans, predation by trout
Urgency for conservation: high priority
Future needs: Monitoring of
populations
Armetia vertebralis-
Umbraculate frog (Letlametlu)
Conservation status: vulnerable
Description: good indicator of clean
quality water
Distribution: Maloti mountains
Population biology: not known
Rarity:
Legal status:
Threats: Habitat loss due
to siltation and overgrazing of the catchments
Urgency for conservation: medium priority
Future needs: monitoring the
populations
Gypaetus barbatus- Bearded Vulture (Seoli)
Conservation status: endangered
Description:
large
birds mainly cliff -nesting
Distribution:
Maloti
mountains
Population
biology: not known
Rarity:
narrow
and disjunct distribution
Legal status: protected,
Threats:
colonies
harvested for sale
Urgency
for conservation: high priority
Future
needs: Monitoring of wild populations
Pelea capreolus -Grey
Rhebuck (Letsa)
Conservation
status: endangered
Description:
Possibly
the only large herbivore still in existence
Distribution:
Maloti
mountains
Population
biology: not known
Rarity:
Legal status: protected,
Threats:
Hunting
and habitat loss
Urgency
for conservation: medium priority
Future
needs: monitoring