About Babiana regia (G.J.Lewis) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
Taxonomic Classification
Babiana regia is a perennial flowering geophyte that belongs to the genus Babiana.
Endemic Range
This species is endemic to the Western Cape, where it grows in fynbos and renosterveld vegetation between Agter-Paarl and Stellenbosch.
Range Size and Subpopulations
Its total range covers an area of less than 10 km², and it is divided into just six small, fragmented subpopulations.
Total Population Size
The entire total population of the species numbers fewer than 1 000 individual plants.
Historical Habitat Loss
The species has already lost 95 percent of its original habitat, primarily to crop cultivation.
Current Threats
The remaining subpopulations face threats from development, the absence of an appropriate fire management program, invasive plant species, overgrazing, eutrophication, and sand mining, among other factors.
