Taxon name
Launaea mucronata
(Forssk.) Muschl.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Launaea mucronata
(Forssk.) Muschl.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(Forssk.) Muschl.
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Two subspecies have been described, subsp. mucronata and subsp. cassiana (Jaub. & Spach) N.Kilian.
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
The species is widespread in the UAE, and although coastal populations may have been impacted by development, 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
Within the UAE, this species is known to be widespread with the northern Emirates: it has been recorded from the Taweelasands (Brown et al. 2007) and from Jebel Hafeet (Sakkir and Brown 2014), and occurs across sandy areas, although it is absent from the mountains. Globally, the native range of this species spans from the Canary Islands, across northern Africa, to the Arabian Peninsula and to Iran (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 is a perennial herb species that generally grows on sandy plains as well in plantations and disturbed roadsides (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Brown et al. 2007, Mahmoud et al. 2018). This species can grow up to 80 cm in height, producing lance-shaped leaves in addition to yellow flowers between February and May (Jongbloed et al. 2003).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Without detailed information on the distribution in the UAE, little can be said about threats, however, it is likely to have been impacted by coastal development, and grazing by livestock may impact the species in parts of its range.
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.
