Taxon name
Monsonia nivea
(Decne.) Decne. ex Webb
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Monsonia nivea
(Decne.) Decne. ex Webb
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(Decne.) Decne. ex Webb
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 relatively widespread across the UAE. It is considered to be common throughout its range and is well adapted to life in an arid climate. 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
In the UAE it is generally widespread across the country, particularly in sandy deserts except for the far western and Liwa regions (Jongbloed et al. 2003). In addition, it also occurs along the East coast of the UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Globally, the native range of this species spans from the Sahara to Pakistan (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 perennial herb species is known to grow within sandy plain habitats (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Fawzi and Ksiksi 2012, Mahmoud et al. 2018). It has a woody base, can reach up to 30 cm in height and has alternating, oval leaves with crinkled edges (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The fruits are covered in feathery hairs and light pink flowers grow between January and May (Jongbloed et al. 2003). A specific adaptation of this plant to its arid environment is the presence of long thick roots, disproportionate in size to the rest of the plant, in order to reach underground moisture (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.
