Taxon name
Saccharum griffithii
Munro ex Aitch.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Saccharum griffithii
Munro ex Aitch.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
Munro ex Aitch.
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 Hajar Mountains of the UAE. Whilst subpopulations may have been impacted by livestock grazing, 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 is widespread in the Hajar Mountains in suitable habitat (near water in wadis; MEW 2010). It has also been recorded from Abu Dhabi and Al Wagan (A.R. Western, U. Deil and F. Karim; Jongbloed et al. 2003). The species is recorded from Wadi Wurayah (Feulner 2016, Judas 2016). The species is absent or rare in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). RBG Edinburgh holds specimens from; 1. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358631"">Wadis around Hatta</a>, (300 m asl), 2. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358628"">fringing the oasis at Qidfa'</a> (Fujairah), 3. Wadi Ham between Masati and Fujairah, and 4. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358630"">Abu Dhabi to Al Ain roa</a>d at al Khanza south; this latter record is a long way outside the otherwise known distribution of the species in the UAE, and is discounted here. Globally, this species occurs through the Arabian Peninsula to Iran, the western Himalaya and Bangladesh (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
The species is usually found on gravel near water in wadis (MEW 2010, Feulner 2011). It is a perennial tussock-forming grass that grows to c. 2 m in height, with flower spikes that can grow up to one metre above that (Feulner and Karki 2009). Brown (<a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E003"">RBGE specimen</a>) recorded the species in slow-flowing water in a wadi, and in a saline pool (<a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358630"">RBGE specimen</a>).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Grazing by livestock may impact the species in parts of its range.
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.
