Taxon name
Centropodia fragilis
(Guinet & Sauvage) Cope
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Centropodia fragilis
(Guinet & Sauvage) Cope
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(Guinet & Sauvage) Cope
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 is apparently known from few records in the UAE, including Sweihan (Al-Ain region), Bu Hasa to the west in Abu Dhabi Emirate, and from Abu Dhabi Island, which is presumably now lost due to development. This species can be confused with other species in the genus and is probably under-recorded, and perhaps has a much wider distribution in the deserts of western and central Abu Dhabi Emirate, given its occurrence in the eastern parts of Saudi Arabia (Mandaville 1990). Research is required to understand the distribution of this species in the UAE, as well as its population size and trend. At present, it is considered 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
This species is apparently known from few records in the UAE. Jongbloed et al. (2003) reported it from Sweihan (Al Ain region) and from Bu Hasa to the west in Abu Dhabi Emirate (Brown and Sakkir 2004). Fisher (2007) recorded the species on Ras Al Akhdhar, on Abu Dhabi Island, which is now entirely developed. Globally, the species is found from the western Sahara to the Arabian Peninsula (Mandaville 1990, Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Incomplete
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
A perennial tussock-forming grass, the species is found primarily on high dunes (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010), on deep sands, and even on mobile dunes (Mandaville 1990).Centropodia fragilis is hard to distinguish from C. forskalii, differentiated only by its taller appearance and longer inflorescence (Jongbloed et al. 2003).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Grazing by livestock may impact the species in parts of its range, and impacts from coastal development are likely to have been significant.
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.
