Cymbopogon iwarancusa | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Cymbopogon iwarancusa | (Jones ex Roxb.) Schult.
Publication
UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Plants
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Flowering Plants
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species was recorded in the Ru'us al-Jibal under the name, Cymbopogon jwarancuse (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is thought to prefer high elevations (Patzelt 2015), having been recorded from the summit of Ra's Mintera, c. 1880 m asl, in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species spans from Turkey to Socotra and on to China (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). Plants of the World Online lists the UAE as a native country of occurrence for this species (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
It is a perennial grass species which forms tufts and has been recorded as growing on cliffs and other rocky areas at high elevations (Feulner 2011, Patzelt 2015). Cymbopogon iwarancusa is a crop wild relative of lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus (Kameswara Rao 2013).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Least Concern
Assessment status abreviation
LC
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is generally described as common throughout its distribution in the Ru'us al-Jibal. This may related to its ability to survive at particularly high elevations and rocky summits, where it has been described as dominant and co-dominant. However, this species appears to be severely impacted by extended periods of drought, which may become more common as a result of climate change. Therefore, it is currently assessed as Least Concern with the need to reassess as conditions continue to change.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2019
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1 + Regional Guidelines v4.0
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
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.
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
It is thought that extended periods of drought may threaten this species, due to an observed decline in abundance within the Ru'us al-Jibal in the late 1990's (Feulner 2011).
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Cymbopogon iwarancusa Plantae Tracheophyta Liliopsida Poales Poaceae Cymbopogon