LAUSR

ABSTRACT Field studies of the distribution and ecology of endemic species are fundamental for conservation planning. Schweinfurthia imbricata A.G.Mill., M.Short & D.A.Sutton is a scarce regional endemic found in the Hajar Mountains of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Northern Oman, and their periphery. Based on recent fieldwork by the Sharjah Seed Bank and Herbarium (SSBH) and literature data, this paper presents the first detailed account of the distribution, habitat preferences and phenology of S. imbricata in the UAE. Among other things, our fieldwork indicates that S. imbricata is more common and widespread in the UAE than has previously been recognized, including at least 19 heretofore unpublished localities, all hosting multiple individual plants. The implications of our findings for the conservation status of S. imbricata in the UAE are briefly discussed.