Taxon name
Cornulaca monacantha
Delile
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Cornulaca monacantha
Delile
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 is generally considered to be widespread in the UAE and can utilise a range of habitats. Although it has a variety of uses, there are no known major threats. In addition, its unpalatable characteristics help to protect the plant from grazing. Therefore, 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, it is generally widespread along the Arabian Gulf coast (Brown et al. 2007). It can be seen south of Abu Dhabi island, at Hatta, Liwa and Jebel Nazwa (G. Brown pers. comm.), in addition to at Jebel Hafeet and its surrounding plain. Globally, its native range spans from the Sahara, through to the Arabian Peninsula and on to Pakistan (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
It is a perennial dwarf shrub species that is able to grow within a wide range of habtiats. These include sand sheets and rocky headlands along the coast (Brown et al. 2007, Böer and Saenger 2006), in addition to coralline sands, limestone slopes and mountain terraces (G. Brown pers. comm. 2019). This species grows as a prickly shrub of up to 60 cm in height and flowers between October and December (Karim and Dakheel 2006). It is also considered to be a halophyte, salt-tolerant, species (Karim and Dakheel 2006). Cistanche tubulosa uses this species as a host plant (Brown et al. 2007). Cornulaca monacantha is generally an unpalatable species, which helps to protect it from grazers.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There is no available information.
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.
