Taxon name
Euphorbia granulata
Forssk.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Euphorbia granulata
Forssk.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
Forssk.
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 widespread at lower altitudes and montane habitats within the UAE. In addition, it is known to occur on offshore islands which is likely to cause its distribution to exceed the thresholds for threatened categories. Although data are lacking on the population size, the trend is inferred to be stable and therefore the species is assessed as Least Concern. Confirmation of the species' origin within the UAE (i.e. native or introduced) would be beneficial, as it has been known to be introduced to nearby countries.
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
The species is widespread within the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003) at elevations up to c. 1100 m (Feulner 2011). It has also been recorded on off-shore islands of Abu Dhabi (Sakkir et al. 2017). Its native range is from western Africa through the Arabian Peninsula to 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 generally inhabits gravel plains and wadis (Jongbloed et al. 2003), but has also been reported from abandoned fields (Western 1991). Euphorbia granulata is also considered a weed in urban areas (Norton et al. 2009). However, it seems to thrive in montane habitats (G.R. Feulner, in litt, MEW 2010). An annual herb species, it produces white, solitary flowers which are present from February to June, in addition to a three-lobed fruit (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Mahmoud et al. 2018).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Grazing by livestock may impact the species in 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.
