Taxon name
Brachiaria reptans
(L.) C.A.Gardner & C.E.Hubb.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Brachiaria reptans
(L.) C.A.Gardner & C.E.Hubb.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(L.) C.A.Gardner & C.E.Hubb.
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
Despite being described as 'rare' within the Hajar Mountains, this species is actually a weed species. As such, it is considered frequent further inland in the Al Ain locality. It is also able to persist at a range of elevations (from sea level to 800 m) and globally it is known to persist in a variety of habitats including roads, fields, coastal areas and gravel/and substrates. Further, it may well occur within the Jebel Hafeet protected area. Therefore, it 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
This species is known from the Ru'us al-Jibal and from the Al Ain area (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011). It has been reported from elevations between sea level to around 800 m (Gupta 2013). Globally, this species is native to the Arabian Peninsula, India and the surrounding countries: Southeast Asia, Indonesia and northern Australia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018). It has been introduced to eastern Africa, Central America and northern South America (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 plant that spreads with rooting at nodes (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It can grow up to 60 cm in height, has lance-shaped leaves and inflorescence spikes (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Generally, the species grows in gravel or sand and is easily confused with the more common Echinochloa colona (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Globally, the species is considered a moderately common weed of sugarcane fields, roadsides, open grasslands and the seashore (Gupta 2013).
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.
