Limonium axillare | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Limonium axillare | (Forssk.) Kuntze
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
Within the UAE, this species has been known to occur around Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, in addition to the north of the UAE (Karim and Dakheel 2006). It has also been documented on the off-shore islands of Abu Dhabi (Sakkir et al. 2017), such as Malawah (S. Sakkir pers. comm. 2019), and to the east of the country in Ras Ghumais. However, ongoing coastal development along both the Arabian Gulf coast and the east coast is likely to have reduced the extent of this species' distribution within the UAE. For example, the subpopulation at Taweela has been extirpated as this locality has been lost. The estimated EOO for this species is 14,809 km<sup>2</sup> and there are estimated to be 6-10 locations. Globally, the native range of this species encompasses Egypt to northeast tropical Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (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 perennial dwarf shrub species grows within saline sand sheets in coastal areas and at sabkha edges (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006, Brown et al. 2007). The plant can reach up to 0.7 m in height, has grey-green fleshy leaves and glands which secrete salt (Karim and Dakheel 2006). The flowers are pink or purple and can be seen between January and June (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006). It is an extremely salt-tolerant species (Karim and Dakheel 2006).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Vulnerable
Assessment status abreviation
VU
Assessment status criteria
A3c; B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)c(iii)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species occurs along the coastline and on offshore islands of the UAE. The estimated EOO for this species is 14,809 km<sup>2</sup> and it is considered to occur at between 5-10 threat-based locations. However, the coastal subpopulations are threatened due to ongoing development which is causing a general decline in these localities. For example, the Taweela subpopulation has been lost and the species is considered to be declining around Dubai due to development. Overall, the population is projected to decline by 30% due to development. Therefore, this species is considered to be Vulnerable (VU A3c; B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)c(iii)).
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 threatened by rapid coastal development along the Arabian Gulf within the UAE (MEW 2010).
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
Coastal development within the UAE has been increasing in frequency and intensity since 1996, reducing the extent and quality of available habitat for this species.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Limonium axillare Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Caryophyllales Plumbaginaceae Limonium