Taxon name
Cutandia memphitica
(Spreng.) Benth.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Cutandia memphitica
(Spreng.) Benth.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(Spreng.) Benth.
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 northern parts of the UAE. Whilst subpopulations will have undergone a significant decline as a result of coastal development, and the Taweela locality has been lost altogether, 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 common along the northern Arabian Gulf coast from Taweela in Abu Dhabi Emirate to Ra's al Khaimah (Brown et al. 2007, Al Mehairbi et al. 2019) and it has also been recorded from the eastern coast at Dibba (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010). Al Mehairbi et al. (2019) show presence along the Abu Dhabi coast, and inland in the Emirate in oases, wet sabkha and brackish areas. The global distribution of this species is from Macaronesia and south-east Spain across to Pakistan (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
Found in sandy habitats, this is an annual species growing up to 0.1(0.3) m, and flowers from January to April (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The species often occurs in association with Rumex pictus and Aizaon canariense (Jongbloed et al. 2003).
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 (Al Mehairbi et al. 2019) 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.
