Taxon name
Polygala irregularis
Boiss.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Polygala irregularis
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
Qualifying criteria (if given)
B1ab(iii)
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is known from a few scattered localities within the northeast of the UAE. It has an estimated EOO of 3,992 km<sup>2</sup> and occurs at four locations. Due to grazing, it is undergoing a continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat. Therefore, it is assessed as Endangered.
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, this species has been recorded from Al Ain and Sharjah (Jongbloed et al. 2003), in addition to two other scattered localities within the northeast of the country (Sharjah Seed Bank and Herbarium pers. comm. 2019). The estimated EOO of this species is 3,992 km<sup>2</sup> and it is considered to occur at four locations, based on the most important threat of grazing. Globally, the native range of this species spans across the Sahara, Kenya and India, including 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 annual (or short-lived perennial) herb species has slender stems that can reach up to 0.3 m in height (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Norton et al. 2009). It has linear to oblong leaves, mauve flowers, which can be seen between February and May, and fruit capsules (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Polygala irregularis typically grows within stable sand between sand dunes (Jongbloed et al. 2003), although it has also been recorded from a road-side in Al Ain.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
This species is known to be affected by grazing.
History
The species' status is thought to have deteriorated due to development and grazing since 1996, when it would have been Least Concern.
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.
