Taxon name
Launaea capitata
(Spreng.) Dandy
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Launaea capitata
(Spreng.) Dandy
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(Spreng.) Dandy
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 generally considered to be common and widespread along the Arabian Gulf Coast and the northern UAE. Within this range, it is known to occur within at least one protected area. Although grazing may pose a threat, it is not clear yet to what extent this poses a threat to the species. 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, this species is known from offshore islands and the white sands of Taweela, in addition to Jebel Hafeet (Western 1994, Brown et al. 2007, Sakkir and Brown 2014). In general, it is widespread among the north of the UAE and can usually be found along the Arabian Gulf Coast (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Globally, its native range spans from the Canary Islands to the Arabian Peninsula and India (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
It is an annual or biennial herb species that is typically found growing in stable and compact sand (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Brown et al. 2007, Mahmoud et al. 2018). Launaea capitata has rosette leaves and produces small pale yellow flowers between February and April, in addition to winged fruits (Jongbloed et al. 2003).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Grazing may threaten this species within parts of its range (Shahid 2017).
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.
