Indigofera argentea | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Indigofera argentea | Burm.f.
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 known from Al Ain within the UAE. It is now considered to have a more restricted distribution than previously thought as a result of confusion with a related species, Indigofera colutea, which occurs along the west of the UAE (Ghazanfar and Fisher 1998, Jongbloed et al. 2003). Globally, this species occurs from the Sahara 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
In terms of appearance, habitat and ecology, this species is described as being quite similar to Indigofera colutea (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It has woody stems and grows to moderate heights (around 50 cm) in addition to producing flowers between January and July (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Differing to I. colutea, it has a silvery aspect, however it also exhibits a perennial life cycle (Jongbloed et al. 2003). This species is found growing on sand plains, sand dunes and along roadsides, in addition to favouring gravel wadi beds (Jongbloed et al. 2003). I. argentea is a crop wild relative of indigo, I. tinctoria (Kameswara Rao 2013).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Data Deficient
Assessment status abreviation
DD
Assessment rationale/justification
There is persisting confusion regarding whether records are truly Indigofera argentea or misidentified as Indigofera colutea. Therefore, it is currently assessed as Data Deficient pending research to confirm its taxonomy.
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
This species is known to be affected by grazing, as it is more often seen in areas with lower grazing pressure. Coastal populations are likely to have been impacted by development.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Indigofera argentea Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Fabales Fabaceae Indigofera