Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Medicago polymorpha L. is a tertiary wild relative of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. subsp. sativa) (Singh and Jauhar 2005).
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
Medicago polymorpha is considered to grow relatively well within certain areas of the UAE, however its exact range in the country is still not well defined, and it is not clear if it is subject to any major threats. Given the lack of information on the species, 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
A detailed description of the distribution of Medicago polymorpha within the UAE is lacking, however it is known to occur within the country according to R. Western. According to Fawzi and Karim (pers. comm. 2019), this species has been recorded from Hatta and Ras al-Khaimah, in addition to Abu Dhabi Island (S. Sakkir pers. comm. 2019). Globally, the native range of this species encompasses northern and eastern Africa, Europe, the Arabian Peninsula and western and central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Not possible
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
It is an annual herb species (Fawzi and Ksiksi 2012) and is found in lawns and gardens, in addition to grassy cultivated areas. This species is a crop wild relative of alfalfa, Medicago sativa (Kameswara Rao 2013). It has a distinctive spiral seed pod.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
This species is likely to be affected by grazing, although it is not clear whether this constitutes a major threat.
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.
