Abutilon fruticosum | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Abutilon fruticosum | Guill. & Perr.
Publication
UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Plants
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Flowering Plants
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Within the UAE, it has been recorded from a few scattered records in low mountains (MEW 2010, G.R. Feulner in litt, MEW 2010). Records include slopes in the north-east of the Jebel Qitab ridge within Fujairah (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2014). Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium holds specimens from Qurayyah on the east coast and from southeast from Wadi Al Helo, however, these records require confirmation. Feulner (2011) reports the species from the Wadi Khab al-Shamsi narrows, however, it is thought that this locality is within Oman, not the UAE. Based on the confirmed locality on the Jebel Qitab slopes, both the AOO and EOO are likely to be highly restricted, very much less than 50 km<sup>2</sup>. Globally, this species native range spans from southern Africa to north-east Africa and India, in addition to encompassing Arkansas, Arizona and Mexico within the Americas (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This dwarf shrub species has showy yellow flowers which are present between January and April (Norton et al. 2009, Feulner 2014). It has been recorded from rocky ridges and cliff habitats (Feulner 2014).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Endangered
Assessment status abreviation
EN
Assessment status criteria
D
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is confirmed from the ridges of Jebel Qitab, with other localities requiring confirmation; it lacks further detailed information about its distribution in the UAE. There is little information available on its general ecology, in addition to any probable threats that the species faces, however, it is considered to be rare. The population size is restricted, with fewer than 250 mature individuals estimated. The species is assessed as Endangered (D) on the basis of the restricted number of mature individuals. No regional adjustment is applied.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2019
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1 + Regional Guidelines v4.0
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
Grazing by feral animals (donkeys, and perhaps goats), climate change, and perhaps road construction are potential threats to this species in the area of Jebel Qitab.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
Same, perhaps slightly larger number given higher rainfall in 1996.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Abutilon fruticosum Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Malvales Malvaceae Abutilon