Corchorus depressus | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Corchorus depressus | (L.) Stocks
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
This species is recorded from the plains at the foot of Jebel Hafeet and along the east coast of the UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003). This species tends to occur at lower altitudes and on gentler slopes (Ghazanfar and Fisher 1998, Feulner 2011). The estimated EOO is 7,369 km<sup>2</sup>, however the AOO and the current number of locations is unknown. Its native range is from Macaronesia to India (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 species inhabits gravel and sand plains (Ghazanfar and Fisher 1998, Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is a perennial species with a woody base and stems, which can grow up to 0.3 m in height (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The leaves are oval in shape and have a scalloped edge, while flowers are present between January to May and are pale yellow in colour with prominent yellow anthers (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It produces a cylindrical woody capsule for fruit (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is described as a herb by Mahmoud et al. (2018), while Fawzi and Ksiksi (2012) describe it as a grass.
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 considered common throughout much of the eastern UAE. However, a large proportion of its range occurs along the east coast of the UAE, which is subject to ongoing development reducing the extent and quality of available habitat. Given the estimated extent of occurrence of 7,369 km<sup>2</sup>, the species potentially qualifies as Near Threatened on the basis of its restricted EOO and continuing decline in parts of its range. However it is considered here as Least Concern on the basis of its moderately wide distribution in the country and stable populations generally.
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
As this species occurs along the east coast of the UAE, it is likely to have been affected by ongoing coastal development.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
Coastal development along the east coast of the UAE has increased since 1996, and so its Red List status is thought to have deteriorated in the intervening time.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Corchorus depressus Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Malvales Malvaceae Corchorus