Rumex limoniastrum | UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants

Taxa
Rumex limoniastrum | Jaub. & Spach
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
Taxonomic Notes
Described from the type collection on Jabal Al Akhdar (Oman) in 1844 and in Oman not collected since. It is closely related to R. nervosus Vahl and may prove to be conspecific (Miller and Cope 1996). More collections are required to confirm its taxonomic position. Until then the status of this species remains doubtful.
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
In the UAE, this species is found in the Hajar Mountains, where G.R. Feulner (in litt, MEW 2010) reports it from a small number of records, although Feulner (2016) considered it to be widespread in the mountains but very rare. Two specimens are known from the Wadi Wurayah National Park (WWNP) area: a historical record from the upper Wadi Siji in the WWNP buffer zone, and one from the upper Wadi Zikt (Feulner 2016). <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00181462"">RBGE Herbarium</a> hold one specimen from five kilometres southeast of Masafi, below Jebel Masafi. A further record is known from Wadi Hatta and Jebel Hatta. Both the EOO (&lt;310 km<sup>2</sup>) and the AOO (&lt;100 km<sup>2</sup>) are highly restricted.This species is restricted to northern Oman and the UAE. In Oman, it is found in the Jabal Al Akhdar range of the Western and Eastern Hajar Mountains, including from Hatta southwards to Wadi Jizzi (G.R. Feulner in litt, MEW 2010).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
An erect to semi-pendant small shrub, typically found on ledges, walls or other sites protected from browsing (Feulner 2016), but also found on wadi floors, for example, after rains. The seed may be wind-dispersed, but within short distances (D. Aplin pers. comm. 2019) and also to some degree through consumption by animals.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Endangered
Assessment status abreviation
EN
Assessment status criteria
B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is near-endemic to the UAE, with a global distribution restricted to the Hajar Mountain chain in the UAE and Oman. In the UAE, it is found in the Hajar Mountains, where it is known from four locations. Two specimens are known from the Wadi Wurayah National park (WWNP) area: a historical record from the upper Wadi Siji in the WWNP buffer zone, and one from the upper Wadi Zikt (Feulner 2016). <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00181462"">RBGE Herbarium</a> hold one specimen from five kilometers southeast of Masafi, below Jebel Masafi. A further record is known from Wadi Hatta and Jebel Hatta. Both the EOO (&lt;100 km<sup>2</sup>) and the AOO (&lt;100 km<sup>2</sup>) are highly restricted. Grazing by livestock and feral animals (donkeys, goats) is likely to impact the species and its habitat, and the number of mature individuals is suspected to be fewer than 1,000. The species is assessed as Endangered (EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)) as a result of its restricted extent of occurrence (AOO) and area of occupancy (AOO). No rescue effect is applied.
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
Near_endemic
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Near_endemic
Endemism specifics: This species is near-endemic to the UAE
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
Grazing by livestock and feral animals (donkeys, goats) is likely to impact the species and its habitat.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
The same situation is assumed.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Rumex limoniastrum Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Caryophyllales Polygonaceae Rumex