Taxon name
Indigofera intricata
Boiss.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Indigofera intricata
Boiss.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
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 appears to be generally widespread and common within the UAE, in addition to occurring within the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. Although it may be grazed, it is unknown what effect this is having on the population in general. Despite this potential threat, the species is still thought of as common in addition to being able to make use of disturbed areas. Therefore, the 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
This species is fairly widespread in parts of Dubai within the UAE, including with the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and generally within the south and west of the UAE (MEW 2010, G. Brown pers. comm. 2019). Globally, this species occurs from the Arabian Peninsula and Somalia to Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019; Lopez Poveda 2012).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Indigofera intricata is a perennial herb species which grows on sand and gravel dunes in addition to roadsides (El Alqamy 2004, Karim and Dakheel 2006, Brown et al. 2007). It is considered a xerohalophyte i.e. a salt-tolerant plant which can cope in dry environments (Böer and Saenger 2006). The plant has woody stems and can grow up to 70 cm in height (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Small red flowers are produced throughout the year, although flowering peaks between January and June (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006). I. intricata is a crop wild relative of indigo, I. tinctoria (Kameswara Rao 2013).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
This species is susceptible to grazing (Karim and Dakheel 2006, G. Brown pers. comm. 2019). However, it is not known to what extent this poses a threat to the species.
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.
