Taxon name
Melanocenchris abyssinica
(R.Br. ex Fresen.) Hochst.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Melanocenchris abyssinica
(R.Br. ex Fresen.) Hochst.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(R.Br. ex Fresen.) Hochst.
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
Data Deficient
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species appears to be known from just two localities in the UAE; one in Fujairah, and a more recent record from a cultivated area in northern Ra's al-Khaimah. Although the species has been considered Least Concern for the UAE (MEW 2010), its extent of occurrence and area of occupancy are restricted, and little is known of its population size or trend. As a result, it is assessed here as Data Deficient.
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
Jongbloed et al. (2003) only had a single record of this species for the UAE, from Wadi Hayl (Fujairah). The species has recently been reported from Wadi Ghalilah, Ra's al-Khaimah (Shahid 2017). Outside the UAE, its native range is extended from eastern Egypt to Somalia, through the Arabian Peninsula, to northwest India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This plant species is characterised as an annual, up to 0.2 m tall, typically flowering between February and May (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is normally found in wadis and on hill slopes (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010). Shahid (2017) found it within a cultivated area.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
This species may be threatened by livestock which use this species as a food source, however it is unknown whether this represents a major threat to Melanocenchris abyssinica.
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.
