Encephalartos cupidus
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encephalartos_cupidus
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Encephalartos cupidus faces severe pressure from illegal collection for the horticultural trade, with mature plants commanding extremely high prices that drive continued poaching from wild populations. The species' naturally fragmented distribution across a few rocky outcrops in KwaZulu-Natal makes remaining populations highly vulnerable to local extinctions. Habitat degradation from invasive plant species and altered fire regimes further threatens the specialized rocky grassland environments this cycad requires.
Habitat
Encephalartos cupidus occurs in rocky grassland and savanna habitats on steep slopes and cliff faces in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The species is adapted to well-drained, rocky soils and requires the specific microclimate conditions found in these elevated, exposed sites.
