Arundo donax | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Arundo donax | L.
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
The species is common and widespread in the Hajar Mountains in eastern UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Feulner (2011) records the species from a single native site ('Ayn as-Sih, wadi al-'Ayn) in the Ru'us al-Jibal, however this locality is in Oman. The species is also considered native to Abu Dhabi Emirate (S. Sakkir pers. comm. 2018), but the distribution there is uncertain, and its use as an ornamental plant in Abu Dhabi city is also reported. The species is listed as an introduced plant by MoCCaE (O. Al Shamsi pers. comm. 2019) and Al Mehairbi et al. (2019). The species is considered to be native from West and Central Asia to temperate East Asia, although only the 'Gulf States' is referred to, not the UAE specifically (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). GRIN (2019) cite only Saudi Arabia in the Arabian Peninsula; the true native distribution is obscure (CABI 2019).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species is found in or near water, in wadis and irrigated places (Jongbloed et al. 2003) and seepages (Feulner 2011). It is a perennial species with woody rhizomes that grows to 300(-600) cm and flowers from January to June (Jongbloed et al. 2003).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Data Deficient
Assessment status abreviation
DD
Assessment rationale/justification
The species is common and widespread in the Hajar Mountains in the eastern UAE. Whilst almost certainly Least Concern in relation to its distribution and population size and trend, the species is considered Data Deficient given the significant uncertainty of the origin of the species in the UAE.
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
The species would be vulnerable to the decline in surface water, such as from long-term climate change.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Arundo donax Plantae Tracheophyta Liliopsida Poales Poaceae Arundo