Taxon name
Limonium axillare
(Forssk.) Kuntze
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Limonium axillare
(Forssk.) Kuntze
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(Forssk.) Kuntze
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
Qualifying criteria (if given)
A3c; B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)c(iii)
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species occurs along the coastline and on offshore islands of the UAE. The estimated EOO for this species is 14,809 km<sup>2</sup> and it is considered to occur at between 5-10 threat-based locations. However, the coastal subpopulations are threatened due to ongoing development which is causing a general decline in these localities. For example, the Taweela subpopulation has been lost and the species is considered to be declining around Dubai due to development. Overall, the population is projected to decline by 30% due to development. Therefore, this species is considered to be Vulnerable (VU A3c; B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)c(iii)).
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, this species has been known to occur around Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, in addition to the north of the UAE (Karim and Dakheel 2006). It has also been documented on the off-shore islands of Abu Dhabi (Sakkir et al. 2017), such as Malawah (S. Sakkir pers. comm. 2019), and to the east of the country in Ras Ghumais. However, ongoing coastal development along both the Arabian Gulf coast and the east coast is likely to have reduced the extent of this species' distribution within the UAE. For example, the subpopulation at Taweela has been extirpated as this locality has been lost. The estimated EOO for this species is 14,809 km<sup>2</sup> and there are estimated to be 6-10 locations. Globally, the native range of this species encompasses Egypt to northeast tropical Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (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 perennial dwarf shrub species grows within saline sand sheets in coastal areas and at sabkha edges (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006, Brown et al. 2007). The plant can reach up to 0.7 m in height, has grey-green fleshy leaves and glands which secrete salt (Karim and Dakheel 2006). The flowers are pink or purple and can be seen between January and June (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Karim and Dakheel 2006). It is an extremely salt-tolerant species (Karim and Dakheel 2006).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
This species is threatened by rapid coastal development along the Arabian Gulf within the UAE (MEW 2010).
History
Coastal development within the UAE has been increasing in frequency and intensity since 1996, reducing the extent and quality of available habitat for this species.
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.
