The ex situ conservation of Leuenbergeria aureiflora (EN) and Pereskia bahiensis subsp. minensis (CR) (Cactaceae) by means of seed production for banking is described as an example of what can be achieved on a domestic scale, utilising plants of documented wild provenance.

Echinocereus fitchii subsp. albertii is a federally and state endangered cactus endemic to Texas that occurs exclusively on private lands. Sclerocactus brevihamatus subsp. tobuschii is a federally threatened and state endangered cactus occurring on private lands, as well as protected lands in Texas. Although listed under both federal and state laws, these laws give very limited protections to listed plants on private land. Nevertheless, section 7 of the Endangered Species Act requires federal agencies to ensure that their actions do not harm listed species. This paper provides case studies demonstrating how section 7 consultations lead to collaborations of federal and state conservation agencies, environmental consultants, non-profit organisations, and private landowners to conserve cactus populations in Texas, USA. Establishing good working relationships with landowners is essential for these conservation efforts.

On the basis of herbarium records, certain species of Euphorbia are identified as at risk because of their very restricted known distributions. This includes ten species in subg. Athymalus, one species in subg. Chamaesyce, one species in subg. Esula and nine species in subg. Euphorbia. A brief account is given of each, with illustrations.

The genus Lithops (Aizoaceae; Ruschioideae) is widely distributed across South Africa, Namibia and into Botswana. Using the environmental niche modelling software Maxent, 416 Lithops localities were examined against environmental variables of climate, dominant soil, geology, ecoregion and altitude. Predictions obtained suggested that a combination of suitable soil or geology and climatic conditions determine the limits of the range of distribution of the genus. Predictions for paleoclimatic conditions at the last glacial maximum suggested the area of distribution of the genus Lithops was significantly contracted at this time but that all current species had at least one locality suitable to sustain them. Predictions using future climate simulations suggest a significant reduction in the range of the genus and potential extinction of two species due to habitats becoming unsuitable. A prediction using suitability of different ecoregions supports the hypothesis for an origin of the genus near to the mouth of the Orange River.

The approach to the conservation of Lithops plants in habitat is outlined in the light of the paucity of scientific information on the ecology and population dynamics of the genus. The current on-going conservation research programmes are briefly discussed and some preliminary results of the pro-active conservation efforts given. It is concluded that the preservation of in habitat colonies is the best conservation strategy but long-term re-introduction of cultivated plants can be used in some cases.

Despite its importance for scientific and conservation purposes, knowledge about the real distribution and status of native Tunisian flora is far from exhaustive. Chorological data for Ceropegia europaea (Guss.) Bruyns, the only taxon of stapeliads in the country is here presented. Morphological characters together with data on its phenology, habitat and ecology are also given. Threats at national level are evaluated and measures for conservation are here proposed.

In this article we review the literature, with a focus on cacti, about the role of cultivation in conservation. We examine in detail the case study of Lophophora williamsii, the peyote cactus, and present arguments that cultivation is not only a necessary conservation strategy for this particular species but is likely the only viable alternative for long-term survival of this cactus in the wild. Concerns about cultivation, as well as recommendations and conservation implications are also discussed.

Ensuring the protection of the natural environment and its components from the damage caused by humans, whether directly or indirectly, is a commitment that can no longer be delayed or disregarded. However, before attempting to conserve wild populations of any kind of animal or plant, it is important to know which taxa are involved and where they live, as this also allows us to identify the relevant hotspots and suggest the areas which need to be protected. In this paper the author presents a provisional checklist of taxa belonging to the Crassulaceae family, selected as a priority for conservation. This list itemises taxa with a restricted distribution (endemic) in a specific area of the Euro-Mediterranean biogeographical context. Only the taxa with a range confined to a single country of this geographic area are dealt with in this paper. The study also focused on taxa whose distribution is included in the political boundaries of a single nation, in order to connect them with the local ‘Red List’ and appropriate legislative measures. We have selected ninety-seven taxa divided between species and subspecies (varieties and hybrids are excluded), with details on their distribution (country and biogeographic area), category of endemism, and conservation references.

Echinocereus adustus, E. pamanesii and E. schereri are three morphological related, little known species from northwestern Mexico. In order to assess their conservation status, data on their distribution and ecological conditions were gathered from herbarium specimens, field work and databases. A data matrix of about 140 records was obtained. After curating those, eighty-eight records were kept of E. adustus subsp. adustus, E. adustus subsp. schwarzii, E. pamanesii and E. shereri. Distribution maps were generated on biogeographic provinces and ecoregions, and maps of the Area of Occupancy (AOO) and Extent of Occurrence (EOO) were prepared for each taxon. We propose to update the conservation status to Endangered for E. adustus (which has a wide distribution but very restricted occupation area) and E. schereri (restricted distribution and locally very rare), and to Near Threathened for E. pamanesii, which has a small Area of Occupancy and Extent of Occurrence but is locally common in an area not exposed to agricultural activities.

The ex situ conservation work at the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens with Cactaceae is described and illustrated, together with notes on the local climate and cultivation and propagation techniques, including seed-raising and grafting.

In situ conservation is an effective way to conserve living organisms, particularly endangered species. One way to encourage and guarantee in situ conservation is the creation of Conservation Units. Thus, this study points out which endangered cacti are protected in these Conservation Units and which are living in unprotected areas. Furthermore, we also discuss the effectiveness of these different types of Conservation Units in protecting these endangered cacti. Initially, we made up a list of all Cactaceae species in Brazil to assign their respective extinction risk category. This list was prepared according to the ‘Flora do Brasil’ database, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and the book Cacti of Eastern Brazil. We only included cacti assigned to the Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered categories. We also obtained information about the phytogeographic domain and Conservation Unit where cacti grow. There are 272 species and thirty-seven genera of the Cactaceae family in Brazil. Cacti grow in all six Brazilian phytogeographic domains. We found 135 species grouped into twenty-three genera threatened with extinction in Brazil. Parodia Speg. (nineteen species), Pilosocereus Byles & Rowley (sixteen species) and Rhipsalis Gaertn. (sixteen species) are the genera with the largest number of endangered species. There is no record of endangered cacti in the Amazon Rainforest. The largest number of endangered taxa are in the Cerrado (fifty-two taxa), Caatinga (fifty-one taxa), and Atlantic Forest (forty-eight taxa). We found that about 50% of these taxa grow in unprotected areas outside Conservation Units, which means that most endangered cacti are not safe in Brazil. If we do not take urgent protection actions for their conservation, many endangered cacti will be extinct from the wild in a few years in Brazil.

Melocactus Link & Otto is one of the most representative and endangered genera of Cactaceae in Sergipe. This study evaluates ex situ conservation under two integrative approaches: the rescue of adult plants to set a germplasm bank and the analysis of different substrates to establish a seedling bank of rescued species. We collected thirty individuals of each species and cultivated them in a greenhouse for twelve months. We evaluated the number of flowers, fruits, and seeds daily, as well as the mortality rate of adult plants. We evaluated five substrates to establish the seedling bank 1 – sand, 2 – sand + commercial soil (1:1), 3 – sand + goat manure (1:1), 4 – soil (100% volume) and 5 – soil + goat manure (1:1). We found mortality rates of 0%, 10% and 50% for M. zehntneri, M. violaceus subsp. margaritaceus and M. sergipensis, respectively. We found two phenological patterns for the species in the germplasm bank: a continuous production of flowers, fruits and seeds throughout the year and another pattern, with periods of greater production of flowers, fruits, and seeds. We also found positive correlations between the environmental factors and the phenological stages of the species. We conclude that substrates ‘sand’ and ‘sand + soil’ are the most suitable to produce seedlings of the three species of Melocactus.

Two species of the genus Mammillaria Haw. are the only globular cacti belonging to the family Cactaceae that have been reported from the Yucatán Peninsula, occurring only in the northernmost coastal areas of the Mexican state of Yucatán. While Mammillaria heyderi subsp. gaumeri is a relatively common cactus inhabiting various types of biotopes (from stabilised coastal sand dunes to dry tropical deciduous forests), Mammillaria columbiana subsp. yucatanensis has been re-discovered in its habitat near Progreso (type locality) only very recently and only a few specimens have been so far reported. Thus, although recorded from other parts of Mesoamerica, M. columbiana subsp. yucatanensis should be considered as a very endangered plant in Yucatán Peninsula, deserving the special protection status. The biggest threat to both cacti is the destruction of their habitats due to the urbanisation of the coastal areas.

Coleocephalocereus pluricostatus is an endemic cactus from eastern Brazil that occurs on naked gneiss/granite inselbergs in the Atlantic Forest biome. Here we report the extinction of a population of C. pluricostatus and the rapid decline of other populations of the species in eastern Minas Gerais, Brazil due to cochineal insects, diseases and mining operations. We offer some hypotheses to explain this dramatic decline and suggestions for monitoring the populations.

An overview of the conservation status of the genus Aloe L. (Asphodelaceae) in Zimbabwe is presented. Currently, fifteen Aloe taxa are threatened and near-threatened with extinction in Zimbabwe. There is great horticultural interest in the genus and there is evidence that Aloe taxa have been collected from the wild and used for this purpose. Other major threats to their conservation include agriculture, urbanisation, bush fires, habitat fragmentation and loss. Information about the habitat, conservation status and distribution maps of threatened and near-threatened Aloe taxa is presented.

The conservation status of Aloe davyana, A. davyana var. subolifera, and A. labiaflava (Asphodelaceae subfam. Alooideae) is discussed. These three taxa were recently reinstated as accepted species (A. davyana and A. labiaflava), with A. davyana var. subolifera included as the only non-autonymic variety in A. davyana. Of these three aloes, the autonymic A. davyana and A. davyana var. subolifera are of Least Concern, while A. labiaflava is Endangered.

An overview and update is provided of the conservation status of the twenty species of Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) indigenous in southern Africa. Fourteen of the species grow abundantly in extensive natural geographical distribution ranges and from a conservation perspective are of Least Concern. One species, K. laciniata, has a very wide global distribution range but is restricted to Namibia in the southern African region. The other five Kalanchoe species that are of conservation concern are all southern African endemics, being additionally endemic to specific Regions or Centres of Endemism. These are: K. alticola (Barberton Centre of Endemism), K. crouchii (Wolkberg Centre of Endemism), K. crundallii (Soutpansberg Centre of Endmism), K. longiflora (Maputaland-Pondoland Region of Endemism) and K. winteri (Wolkberg Centre of Endemism).

Many growers, keen to conserve exotic species abroad, are often unaware of the decimation of native species.

New Zealand is acutely aware of the threats posed by invasive non-native plants. Nonnative species make up nearly ninety percent of the country's flora. Succulents, numbering over a hundred, constitute a relatively small proportion of the total. Most, if not all, of the country's non-native succulents are a consequence of introduction, escape from cultivation or careless disposal. Carpobrotus edulis and its hybrids pose a threat to native flora. The poisonous Cotyledon orbiculata poses a threat to livestock. These two species are controlled, to some extent, by restrictions on sale and distribution. Conservation measures, other than those applied to these species, are limited. The conservation authorities in New Zealand should be alert of the potential threats from some other succulent plants, especially at local level.

The dramatic threats to the population at the locus classicus of Micranthocereus polyanthus (EN) is reported and all surviving mature individuals counted. The urgent need for the secure preservation of its habitat at Brejinho das Ametistas, Bahia, Brazil is emphasised.