Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
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
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is thought to be rare in the UAE, and it appears to be restricted to specific habitats, with an extent of occurrence of less than 1,000 km<sup>2</sup> and an area of occupancy that is assumed to be very much less than 500 km<sup>2</sup>. The species is assessed as Near Threatened on the basis of its restricted EOO and AOO, however the number of locations is presumed to exceed ten, but is restricted as a result of its habitat requirements.
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, this species has been recorded from Jebel Hafeet and Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010), and from Jebel Huwayyah in Oman. Feulner (2011) notes that the species appears to be limited to areas of carbonate bedrock, specifically, the Ru'us al-Jibal and intermittent mountain front ridges and massifs such as Jebel Hafeet. Based on currently known data, the extent of occurrence is estimated to be less than 1,000 m<sup>2</sup>. Globally, the native range of this species spans from the Mediterranean and northern Africa to the Arabian Peninsula and central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Incomplete
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This annual herb can grow up to 0.3 m in height, producing pale yellow flowers on long stalks between February and April (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Norton et al. 2009). The fruit is distinctive in appearance, curved in a claw and star shape with hooked hairs. This facilitates dispersal by clinging to hair and fur of other species (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Koelpinia linearis is considered to be a halophyte i.e. salt-tolerant plant (Böer and Saenger 2006) and is typically found growing within silt environments among rocky hillsides, in addition to sand and gravel plains (Jongbloed et al. 2003).
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.
