Taxon name
Abutilon fruticosum
Guill. & Perr.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Abutilon fruticosum
Guill. & Perr.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
Guill. & Perr.
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
Qualifying criteria (if given)
D
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is confirmed from the ridges of Jebel Qitab, with other localities requiring confirmation; it lacks further detailed information about its distribution in the UAE. There is little information available on its general ecology, in addition to any probable threats that the species faces, however, it is considered to be rare. The population size is restricted, with fewer than 250 mature individuals estimated. The species is assessed as Endangered (D) on the basis of the restricted number of mature individuals. No regional adjustment is applied.
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, it has been recorded from a few scattered records in low mountains (MEW 2010, G.R. Feulner in litt, MEW 2010). Records include slopes in the north-east of the Jebel Qitab ridge within Fujairah (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2014). Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium holds specimens from Qurayyah on the east coast and from southeast from Wadi Al Helo, however, these records require confirmation. Feulner (2011) reports the species from the Wadi Khab al-Shamsi narrows, however, it is thought that this locality is within Oman, not the UAE. Based on the confirmed locality on the Jebel Qitab slopes, both the AOO and EOO are likely to be highly restricted, very much less than 50 km<sup>2</sup>. Globally, this species native range spans from southern Africa to north-east Africa and India, in addition to encompassing Arkansas, Arizona and Mexico within the Americas (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 dwarf shrub species has showy yellow flowers which are present between January and April (Norton et al. 2009, Feulner 2014). It has been recorded from rocky ridges and cliff habitats (Feulner 2014).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Grazing by feral animals (donkeys, and perhaps goats), climate change, and perhaps road construction are potential threats to this species in the area of Jebel Qitab.
History
Same, perhaps slightly larger number given higher rainfall in 1996.
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.
