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
This species appears to be generally common within and characteristic of its preferred environments. It is not threatened by browsing, as the entirety of the plant is poisonous, however its affinity for water could decrease its resistance to droughts and rising temperatures. It is known to occur within protected areas and is widely used as an ornamental plant. It is 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
Within the UAE, this plant has been recorded in Dubai, Al Ain, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, the Ru'us al-Jibal and the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006, Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species extends from northern Africa and the Mediterranean to the Arabian Peninsula and India (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
Nerium oleander is reported to be associated with areas comprising wet sand, standing water and along the margins of shall water bodies (Rothfels et al. 2012, Patzelt 2015). Despite its affinity for water, it is also a halophyte and is frequently found in salty habitats (Karim and Dakheel 2006). It is has been found growing within deep, canyon-like wadis at low altitudes (Patzelt 2015) and is generally considered to be a characteristic species of wadis (El-Keblawy et al. 2016). This dense evergreen shrub species is considered to be poisonous which causes goats, and other browsers, to ignore this plant (Ghazanfar and Fisher 1998, Karim and Dakheel 2006, El-Keblawy et al. 2016). It has woody stems, can grow to heights of 1-4 m and produces large pink flowers between September and March (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There is no information available. However, as this species is often associated with water (Rothfels et al. 2012, Patzelt 2015), it may be threatened by increasing drought occurrence and severity.
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.
