Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
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
In general, this species is considered common and is able to persist in disturbed environments. It is unclear what effect grazing by camels is having on the overall population of this species, but it is currently assessed as 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
The species has been recorded from scattered localities close to the Arabian Gulf coast, in addition to some further inland such as Al Ain (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Western (1983, 1994) recorded the species from Dubai - Abu Dhabi. Western (1983) classified the species as a weed that has colonised large areas. The origin of the species in the UAE perhaps requires confirmation. ILDIS (2019) excludes the Arabian Peninsula from the native range of the species Globally, this species is known from Greece to India, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia and Russia, and through northern Africa (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). It has been widely introduced.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species is known to be a halophyte i.e. salt-tolerant plant (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Böer and Saenger 2006, Karim and Dakheel 2006, Llewellyn-Smith 2012). It grows as a small shrub, up to around 1.0 m in height, and is grazed by camels (Jongbloed et al. 2009, Norton et al. 2009). Typically, it is found growing within salty or disturbed sandy soils, in addition to farms, coastal habitats and roadsides (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Norton et al. 2009). It is suggested that this plant is locally common within plantations and urban areas (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010). This species produces crimson flowers between March and August, in addition to secreting a sugary sap as a result of insect punctures (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Norton et al. 2009).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
This species is known to be grazed by camels (Norton et al. 2009), which may pose a threat in parts of its distribution.
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.
