Ziziphus spina-christi | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Ziziphus spina-christi | (L.) Desf.
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 is known from Jebel Hafeet (Stuart and Stuart 1998) and Das Island, Abu Dhabi Emirate (Western 1994), in addition to being widespread in the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It has been recorded from elevations up to 1,500 m (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Continued presence on Das Island is unlikely given the extensive development of this island. This species is listed as an introduced landscape plant by MoCCaE (O. Al Shamsi pers. comm. 2018), although the species is potentially native to the UAE. CABI (2019) summarise that the species is thought to be endemic to Africa by some authors, whilst others consider its native range to extend to the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Globally, the range of this species spans from Mauritania to Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019), although the native distribution is unclear.
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This small to medium evergreen tree species grows within wadi beds, coastal foothills, alluvial plains and in desert regions (Staurt and Stuart 1998, Karim and Dakheel 2006, Mahmoud et al. 2018). It can reach up to 12 metres in height and has spiny branches (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006). The leaves are ovate-oblong in shape, the edible fruit is orange-yellow and ovoid, and small yellowish green flowers can be seen between September to November and March to May (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006). This species is highly salt tolerant (Karim and Dakheel 2006) and is also a crop wild relative of the Jujube, Ziziphus jujuba (Kameswara Rao 2013). Ziziphus spina-christi is utilised by the Mediterranean Pierrot butterfly (Taruxus rosaceus) as a food plant for its caterpillars (Jongbloed et al. 2003).
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 very common within its range. It is also one of the most common species within the Wadi Wurayah National Park. Therefore, it is assessed as Least Concern. Confirmation of the origin of the species in the UAE requires confirmation, but here we consider it to be native to the country.
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
There is no information available.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Ziziphus spina-christi Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Rosales Rhamnaceae Ziziphus