Taxon name
Bolboschoenus maritimus
(L.) Palla
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Bolboschoenus maritimus
(L.) Palla
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(L.) Palla
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Until recently, other taxa were included within the concept of B. maritimus; this obscures the limits of its distribution and may obscure population trends.
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
Data Deficient
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
Within the UAE, this species is reported from a small number of scattered locations in the eastern UAE (Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah, Hajar Mountains). However, the identification of B. maritimus and B. glaucus is difficult, and B. maritimus is easily confused with other wetland sedges found in the UAE. As a result, it is not certain whether the species found in the UAE is B. maritimus or B. glaucus. In addition to this uncertainty, the coastal wetlands habitats of these Bolboschoenus species have undergone significant change due to development, water abstraction, climate change and pollution. Further research is required to confirm the presence and distribution of this species in the UAE and, therefore, it is considered Data Deficient.
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
Within the UAE, Jongbloed et al. (2003) reported this species from a small number of scattered locations in the eastern UAE (Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Ras al Khaimah). Survey data from the Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium show additional scattered records (Hatta, coastal Ras al-Khaimah and eastern Sharjah). Feulner (2016) reported this species from Wadi Wurayah National Park (pools at the base of the Wadi Wurayah waterfall and along the wadi above), an area that is intensively used by tourists; the origin of the species here requires confirmation. The species has an enormous global distribution in temperate and subtropical regions (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 species is a perennial plant, with underground tubers, found in swampy ground near freshwater (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It may also be found in anthropogenic habitats.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
The likely threats to this species include development, surface and groundwater abstraction, pollution, and reduced rainfall through climate change.
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.
