Taxon name
Eleocharis geniculata
(L.) Roem. & Schult.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Eleocharis geniculata
(L.) Roem. & Schult.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(L.) Roem. & Schult.
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Near Threatened
Qualifying criteria (if given)
B1ab(iii,v)
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species has a restricted extent of occurrence (EOO) within the UAE and is not considered to be common within this area. The estimated EOO for this plant is around 1,430 km<sup>2</sup>, which falls within the threshold for threatened categories. The species probably occurs in more than ten threat-based locations, but the number of locations is likely to be restricted. Water abstraction and declining rainfall as a result of climate are resulting in population declines. As a result, it is cautiously assessed as Near Threatened due to the restricted distribution within the UAE and declining populations. No regional adjustment is made as the extent of any rescue effect is not known.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
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.
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Distribution of this species is recorded from wadis in the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Al Mehairbi et al. 2019). Feulner (2016) did not find the species (as Eliocharis geniculata) in WWNP, but would expect it to be present. The estimated Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of this species is around 1,430 km<sup>2</sup>. Globally, this is a pantropical species (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This is an annual or short-lived perennial species, up to 0.35 m (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is usually found in moist banks of ponds and wadis (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Brackish marshes and edges of mangrove swamps are typical habitats for this species (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Declining rainfall and increases in water abstraction in recent years has resulted in population declines (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2019).
History
The species is assessed as Least Concern in 1996, as it was much more common at the time.
Publication
Allen, D.J., Westrip, J.R.S., Puttick, A., Harding, K.A., Hilton-Taylor, C. and Ali, H. 2021. UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants. Technical Report. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates, Dubai.
