Taxon name
Micromeria imbricata
(Forssk.) C.Chr.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Micromeria imbricata
(Forssk.) C.Chr.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(Forssk.) C.Chr.
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Three infrataxa have been described for this widespread species; var. imbricata, var. rhodesiaca (Elly Walther & K.H.Walther) Ryding, and var. villosa (Elly Walther & K.H.Walther) Ryding (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).
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 known to occur in scattered localities across the UAE. In addition, it is not considered to be common. This suggests that population sizes are relatively small within the scattered subpopulations, however, there are no major threats currently listed for this species. Therefore, despite a restricted extent of occurrence (EOO) for this species, it is considered 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, it has been recorded from Jebel Masafi and the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is generally found across the mountains in the UAE (MEW 2010). In the Ru'us al-Jibal, it has been recorded from 250 m to at least 1,900 m in altitude (Feulner 2011). The species is also present in Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016). The estimated EOO for this species is less than 2,000 km<sup>2</sup>. Globally, this species is native across Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (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 species can reach heights of up to 20 cm and is covered in fine hairs (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The lower leaves have a pointed tip while the upper leaves are linear (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The flowers are pale violet or white and can be seen between February and April (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is known to grow between rocks found in wadis and mountainous areas (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.
