Taxon name
Polypogon monspeliensis
(L.) Desf.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Polypogon monspeliensis
(L.) Desf.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(L.) Desf.
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 widespread in the UAE. Whilst subpopulations may have undergone a significant decline as a result of coastal development, it is thought that the species still qualifies 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
This species occurs along both the western and eastern coastal areas of the UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Al Meharibi et al. 2019) and in the Hajar Mountains (Feulner 2011). Western (1983) reported the species from across Abu Dhabi Island; Western found it in the outfall of a sewage treatment works, so it may persist in anthropogenic habitats, and presence on the island is shown by Al Meharibi et al. (2019). Globally this species occurs in North and East Africa, southern Europe north to the UK, around the Mediterranean basin, to Central and East Asia. It has been introduced to the Americas, southern Africa and to Oceania (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 species is an annual grass standing up to 1.0 m and flowering between February and May (Jongbloed et al. 2003). In the UAE it has been found to grow in gardens, plantations, along irrigation channels, and in other anthropogenic habitats. It also prefers shady and damp locations (Jongbloed et al. 2003). MEW (2010) have habitat types as ""plantations, gardens; moist and irrigated places"". Globally, this species has been known to be found in temporary pools, marshes, depressions flooded in winter, inundated plains, river estuaries, rice paddies, along stream edges, ditches and humid habitats and is considered a weed in many agricultural crops (Akhani 2014).
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.
