Taxon name
Verbascum sinaiticum
Benth.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Verbascum sinaiticum
Benth.
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 is found in the southern Hajar Mountain in the UAE, with a an additional record from near Al Shwaib. The species appears to be not common and is typically found in irrigated areas within plantations in addition to hillsides. It is not thought to be used in the UAE, although the current threats are unknown. Given its moderate distribution within the Hajar Mountains in the UAE, it is considered to be 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
Jongbloed et al. (2003) gave the distribution of this species (as the synonym Verbascum cedreti) as the southern parts of the Hajar Mountains in the UAE. The draft Red Data Book for the UAE flora (MEW 2010) considered the species to be widespread in the Hajar Mountains, however G.R. Feulner (in litt, MEW 2010) commented that he has only seen the species associated with cultivation. Most of his observations come from plantations in the Mahdah area of Oman, where there is more water. Mahmoud et al. (2018) found the species only once in their study of dams and water breakers along the western slopes of the Hajar Mountains. Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium hold a specimen from north of Al Shwaib, Abu Dhabi Emirate. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00066936"">RBG Edinburgh Herbarium</a> hold a specimen of Verbascum omanense Hub.-Mor., which MEW (2010) considered a synonym of V. sinaiticum, from Wadi Jeema, Hatta town. However, this synonym requires confirmation and it is not currently accepted by Plants of the World Online (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). The native range is given as from north-east Africa (Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia), to Egypt (Sinai mountains) and the eastern Mediterranean, eastwards through Iran to Afghanistan, but excluding the UAE (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 species is an annual or biennial herb than flowers from February to April (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is typically found in plantations and on hill slopes. In Oman, the species is found in the foothills of the mountains, and in wadi beds, plantations, beside roads, waste and disturbed habitats, from 250-“700 m elevation (S. Ghazanfar pers. comm. 2019).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
The threats to this species are currently unknown.
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.
