Taxon name
Anastatica hierochuntica
L.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Anastatica hierochuntica
L.
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
Although this species appears to be known from scattered localities in the east of the UAE, recent sources agree that the species is common where found, and 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
In the UAE, Jongbloed et al. (2003) considered this species to be restricted to scattered localities in the eastern parts, along parts of the western foothills of the Hajar Mountains, from Jebel Hafeet (Western 1982), and from a locality south of Sharjah. Karim and Dakheel (2006) included records for Al Ain, Shwayb, Hatta and Dhaid. The native range of this species is from the Canary Islands (Fuertaventura), across North Africa and the Sahara, to southern Iran (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 small perennial or annual prostrate herb (Karim and Dakheel 2006). Karim and Dakheel (2006) reported the species from sandy, salty soils and in dessert depressions, flowering from January to April. MEW (2010) reported the habitat as sandy and gravelly places. Jongbloed et al. (2003) gave the flowering period as February to May, commenting that when the fruit matures, the branches curl in to enclose fruit, forming a tight woody ball, only exposing the fruit when the plant becomes wet during rains.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
No information available.
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.