Taxon name
Epipactis veratrifolia
Boiss. & Hohen.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Epipactis veratrifolia
Boiss. & Hohen.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
Boiss. & Hohen.
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Shifman (2015) divided the species into two 'northern' and 'southern' subspecies; the former is found in the eastern Mediterranean and the Irano-Turanian regions, from Cyprus and Israel to Turkey, the southern Caucasus, Iran and Afghanistan. The latter is also present on Cyprus but is more limited to tropical habitats in the Saharo-Arabian and Sudanian regions.
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)
D1
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This is the only orchid known to be present in the UAE. It is widespread in suitable habitat in the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003), including Wadi Wurayah (Feulner 2016), and was recorded in 2018 from Jebel Hafeet (Sakkir et al. 2018). The species is found near springs and seepages, typically among Adiantum capillus-veneris ferns, and also along irrigation channels in plantations. Without detailed locality records (aside from Jebel Hafeet), it has not been possible to accurately estimate the extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO), however the AOO is inferred to be less than 500 km<sup>2</sup> based on suitable natural habitat; the extent of distribution within irrigated habitats is not known. Several subpopulations are within protected areas (e.g. Jebel Hafeet and Wadi Wurayah). Some subpopulations may be vulnerable to impacts from disturbance by tourism and recreational activities, and the species may also be impacted by stochastic events such as flash-floods, however these threats are localised and it is assumed that the species occurs in more than ten locations. The species is restricted to specific habitats, and the number of mature individuals is suspected to be less than 1,000 in the UAE, and the species therefore qualifies as Vulnerable (VU D1).
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 widespread but very scattered in the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003), including Wadi Wurayah National Park (WWNP; Feulner 2016), and was recorded in 2018 from Jebel Hafeet (Sakkir et al. 2018). Feulner (2011) found this species at only one site (a spring, 'Ayn as-Sih) in the Ru'us al-Jibal, not in the UAE, but reported the species to be occasional in the Hajar Mountains near springs and seeps, typically among Adiantum capillus-veneris ferns. The species has also been recorded from the base of the waterfall in WWNP. Without detailed locality records (aside from Jebel Hafeet), it has not been possible to estimate the EOO and AOO. The distribution of this species is from the eastern Mediterranean and the Caucuses, through the Arabian Peninsula to eastern Africa, and east to China (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 is a perennial species with a creeping rhizome (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is found in moist and shady places along wadi banks and rock walls, and near irrigation channels in plantations, and is dependent on near-surface water or seepages. The flowering period for this species is from February to April (Jongbloed et al. 2003). In Wadi Wurayah the species is typically found around water seepages on shaded rock walls, as well as amongst tall grasses and sedges at the base of the pipeline waterfall (Feulner 2016). This species tends to grow in association with the fern Adiantum capillus-veneris (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Some subpopulations may be vulnerable to impacts from disturbance by tourism and recreational use of the area, such as in some parts of Wadi Wurayah, however it also occurs in areas where such impacts are low. The species may also be vulnerable to grazing. The species may also be impacted by stochastic events such as flash-floods e.g., Feulner (2014) noted the absence of this species from the area below the main waterfall following heavy rain in November 2014.
History
This species is restricted to specific types of habitats, and the situation has remained relatively to similar to that in 1996.
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.
