Taxon name
Grewia tenax
(Forssk.) Fiori
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Grewia tenax
(Forssk.) Fiori
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(Forssk.) Fiori
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
Critically Endangered
Qualifying criteria (if given)
B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species has a very restricted distribution within the UAE, having only been recorded from Jebel Qitab and Wadi Hayl. Its estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) is 24 km<sup>2</sup> and area of occupancy (AOO) is 8 km<sup>2</sup>. According to the most important threat to this species (drought and extreme weather), it is considered to occur at one threat-based location. In addition, this species is experiencing an ongoing decline in the extent and quality of available habitat due to ongoing droughts and grazing by animals. Therefore, this species is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)). There is not considered to be any rescue effect from subpopulations in Oman, meaning that no regional adjustment is required for the assessment and it remains as Critically Endangered.
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 has been recorded from slopes within the north-east of Jebel Qitab (Feulner 2011) and from nearby Wadi Hayl in 2015 (Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium) in the Olive Highlands. The species appears to be restricted to this specific habitat within the UAE (Feulner 2011), however it is also found in Ru'us al-Jibal in northern Oman (Jongbloed et al. 2003), e.g. the Wadi Khaab Shamsi gorge in Oman. Generally, the species is found in a few scattered montane locations (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010) in the region. The native range for this species extends from the Sahara to Tanzania and the Arabian Peninsula, in addition to from southern Africa to the Indian subcontinent (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 species grows as a large shrub (Feulner 2011). It is known from moist ravines and cliffs of mountainous areas, such as Jebel Qitab (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011). A perennial and woody species, this plant can grow up to 200 cm in height (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Between November to March, small white flowers are present, and it also produces an orange-yellow fruit with multiple lobes (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The species is associated with outer range-restricted species that have also been subject to drought in recent years.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
This species is threatened by ongoing drought, in addition to grazing by feral animals.
History
Although the species may have been in better condition as a result of higher rainfall in the 1990s, the species is considered to also have been CR in 1996.
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.
