Taxon name
Cymbopogon commutatus
(Steud.) Stapf
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Cymbopogon commutatus
(Steud.) Stapf
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(Steud.) Stapf
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 eastern parts of the UAE. Whilst subpopulations are probably impacted by 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 is a widespread species in the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003) in the eastern UAE, including in Dubai, Al Ain, Sharjah, Ajman and R'as al-Khaimah (Karim and Dakheel 2006), and south to Jebel Hafeet (Wadi Tarabat; Brown 2005). Al Meharibi et al. (2019) show a distribution throughout the Hajar Mountains in the eastern UAE, to the east coast. The species is also recorded from Wadi Helo (El-Keblawy et al. 2016), and from the Ru'us al Jibal, although confusion with other species of Cymbopogon is possible (Feulner 2011), and it is uncertain if records are from parts of the Ru'us al-Jibal within the UAE. The overall distribution is uncertain as this species is easily confused with C. schoenanthus, and Feulner (2016) considered only the latter species to be present in Wadi Wurayah. The global distribution of this species extends from West Africa (Senegal and Mauritania) to north-eastern and eastern tropical Africa, to the Arabian Peninsula and ad north 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
This is a perennial grass that grows up to 0.6 (to 1.0) m, and its flowering period is from February to May (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Al Meharibi et al. 2019). This species can be found in silt between rocks of wadis and on mountains up to 1,000 m (Jongbloed et al. 2003), and in desert in gravel and on compact sand (Karim and Dakheel 2006).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
G. Brown noted that this species was severely grazed at Jebel Hafeet (Brown 2005). 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.
