Taxon name
Phragmites australis
(Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Phragmites australis
(Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
This has been treated at times as a monospecific genus or a number of different species within the genus. It is extremely variable and many subordinate taxa have been described (e.g. TROPICOS lists 199 synonyms for this name). TROPICOS lists this taxon as P. communis Trin. by which name it was formerly known in the UK. There is a degree of uncertainty over the taxonomic status of this species, some authorities consider that there is only species worldwide (e.g. T.A. Cope pers. comm.), however, a number of taxa are generally recognized (e.g. The Plant List). As a consequence of this uncertainty, it is very difficult to establish the true distribution of the various taxa. This assessment uses a combination of the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families and the Invasive Species Compendium (CABI International) to derive a country list, however, it is not certain that this list is comprehensive.
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
Least Concern
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is relatively widespread throughout the UAE and can be found growing in both freshwater and brackish water bodies of a range of sizes. It is extremely salt-tolerant and is considered to be common in general. Therefore, this species is assessed as Least Concern.
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, it is known to occur in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, R'as al-Khaimah and Fujairah (Böer and Saenger 2006, Karim and Dakheel 2006). It has also been recorded from offshore islands of Abu Dhabi (Sakkir et al. 2017). Al Mehairbi et al. (2019) show its presence through the Hajar Mountains and in scattered localities, including in and around Abu Dhabi city, but do not show presence on the islands. The species is listed as an introduced landscape plant by MoCCaE (O. Al Shamsi pers. comm. 2018). Globally, the native range of this species spans across temperate, subtropical and tropical mountain areas (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This perennial reed species is known to inhabit wetland habitats, such as brackish water pools, lakes, swamps and canal banks (Karim and Dakheel 2006, Llewellyn-Smith 2012, Mahmoud et al. 2018). Phragmites australis is described as sensitive to water movement which is why it prefers standing bodies of water (Perry 2008). It also considered to be extremely salt-tolerant (Karim and Dakheel 2006, Qureshi 2017). The hollow stems of the plant can reach up to 4 m in height and has flat leaves in addition to silver/purple inflorescence spikes which flower between January and October (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There is no information available.
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.
