Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
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 described as widespread throughout inland sandy regions in the UAE, and is generally thought of as common. 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 common and widespread throughout inland sandy regions across the entire country (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Globally, this species is native to countries within the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). According to the outcome of the UAE National Red List Workshop (15th-19th September 2019, Dubai), records of Tribulus omanense within the UAE are considered within Tribulus arabicus. This is due to the species material for T. omanense being described a year after T. arabicus by Hadidi, despite the identification appearing to use the same type material. T. omanense was described as occurring throughout the south of the UAE, in sandy areas.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This perennial shrublet species grows within sand plain habitats and has a prostrate growth form (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Mahmoud et al. 2018). The stems can reach up to 70 cm in length, while the leaves are grey-green and oblong, with a pointed tip (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Solitary yellow flowers can be seen between February to September and the fruit is covered in hair, with wings (Jongbloed et al. 2003). This species is known to grazed by camels in Qatar, which may well also be the case in the UAE (Norton et al. 2009).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There is 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.
