Cenchrus ciliaris | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Cenchrus ciliaris | L.
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
Taxonomic Notes
Cenchrus ciliaris L. is a wild relative of pearl millet P. glaucum (L.) R.Br. C. americanum (L.) Morrone (syn. Pennisetum glaucum (L.) Br.). This species is classified in Taxon Group 4, following the definition of Maxted et al. (2006).
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Within the UAE, this species is generally considered to be widespread throughout northern parts of the country (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Al Mehairbi et al. (2019). It is known to occur in Al Ain and Dubai (Karim and Dakheel 2006), and in the Ru'us al-Jibal the species has been recorded from elevations up to 1,350 m (Feulner 2011). Al Mehairbi et al. (2019) show it to be absent from parts of the western coast of Abu Dhabi Emirate. Globally, the native range of this species is from Italy (Sicily) and Greece, through much of Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula, and east to the Indian Subcontinent (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). It has been very widely introduced outside this native range.
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This perennial grass species grows within sand, salty habitats and on sandstone hillsides, in addition to disturbed soils along roadsides and plantations (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006, Mousa and Fawzi 2009, Mahmoud et al. 2018). It has a woody base, can reach 100 cm in height and has flat leaf-blades of up to 18 cm long (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006). The inflorescences of this plant are dark or semi-purple and can be seen throughout the year (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006). It is a highly salt-tolerant species (Karim and Dakheel 2006). This species is a crop wild relative of pearl millet, Pennisetum glaucum (Kameswara Rao 2013).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Least Concern
Assessment status abreviation
LC
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is generally widespread and common throughout the UAE. An important agricultural plant, it grows at a range of altitudes, in a range of environments and is extremely salt tolerant. Therefore, it is assessed as Least Concern.
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 goats may threaten this species in areas of its range (Shahid 2017).
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Cenchrus ciliaris Plantae Tracheophyta Liliopsida Poales Poaceae Cenchrus