Cenchrus pennisetiformis | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Cenchrus pennisetiformis | Steud.
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
Taxonomic Notes
Cenchrus pennisetiformis Steud. is a tertiary wild relative of Pearl Millet C. americanus (L.) Morrone (syn. Pennisetum glaucum (L.) Br.) (USDA, ARS, GRIN 2017).
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species is widespread across northern parts of the UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is known from the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011) and in Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016). G.R. Feulner (in lit., MEW 2010) comments that this species is difficult to distinguish in the wild and that it has been widely cultivated as a landscape plant. Al Mehairbi et al. (2019) show it to be absent from parts of the western coast of Abu Dhabi Emirate. Globally, this species occurs in North and East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia, India and Thailand (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This is an annual plant that grows up to 0.4 m in height, found in sands and stable sand sheets, in plantations and in gardens (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Al Mehairbi et al. 2019).
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 widespread across a large part of the UAE. Although data are lacking on the population size and trend, the species is assessed as Least Concern as it is thought unlikely that it will approach the thresholds for a threatened category.
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 livestock may impact the species in parts of its range, and impacts from coastal development are likely to have been significant.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

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