<b>An updated report on the distribution and conservation status of the endangered Cat’s Head Rockrose <I>Helianthemum caput-felis</I> (Magnoliopsida: Violales: Cistaceae) in Algeria</b>

Abstract

T h r e a tt e n e d T a x a T h e J o u r n a l o f T h r e a tt e n e d T a x a fi s d e d fi c a tt e d tt o b u fi l d fi n g e v fi d e n c e f o r c o n s e r v a fi o n g l o b a l l y b y p u b l fi s h fi n g p e e r -r e v fi ew e d a r fi c l e s o n l fi n e e v e r y m o n tt h a tt a r e a s o n a b l y r a p fi d r a tt e a tt www . tt h r e a tt e n e d tt a x a . o r g. A l l a r fi c l e s p u b l fi s h e d fi n J o T T a r e r e g fi s tt e r e d u n d e r C r e a fi v e C omm o n s A tt r fi b u fi o n 4 . 0 I n tt e r n a fi o n a l L fi c e n s e u n l e s s o tt h e rw fi s e m e n fi o n e d . J o T T a l l ow s u n r e s tt r fi c tt e d u s e o f a r fi c l e s fi n a n y m e d fi um , r e p r o d u c fi o n , a n d d fi s tt r fi b u fi o n b y p r o v fi d fi n g a d e q u a tt e c r e d fi tt tt o tt h e a u tt h o r s a n d tt h e s o u r c e o f p u b l fi c a fi o n .O P E N A C C E S S P a r tt n e r www . tt h r e a tt e n e d tt a x a . o r g I S S N 0 9 7 4 -7 9 0 7 ( O n l fi n e ) | I S S N 0 9 7 4 -7 8 9 3 ( P r fi n tt ) B u fi l d fi n g e v fi d e n c e f o r c o n s e r v a fi o n g l o b a l l y J o u r n a l o f T h r e a tt e n e d T a x a P u b l fi s h e r / H o s tt Author Contribution: AJ, MAA and AT carried out the fieldwork. JCA and AJ studied and analysed the information from literature, herbaria sheets and databases. Finally, the paper was written jointly by JCA, AJ and MBC. Acknowledgements:We thank Caroline Loup, curator of the MPU Herbarium, and Roxali Bijmoer, Collections Manager in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, for kindly sending photographs of the herbarium material with rare information included in the databases. We also thank to M.M. Martínez-Ortega, J. Peñas and S. Barrios for assistance during the fieldwork. The authors also thank the two anonymous reviewers and the Subject Editor for their helpful comments and suggestions. Abstract: Helianthemum caput-felis is an Endangered plant species growing in the western Mediterranean basin. Its distribution is well known to the European and Moroccan regional populations, but no data from its distribution in Algeria have been reported since the middle 20 th century. In this study, we provide an up-to-date report on the distribution of the species in Algeria. Fieldwork surveys in the classical locations were unsuccessful in finding the species, probably due to human habitat disturbances; however, a relict location was found in Ain-el-Kerma, near one of the historical known locations. As there is reduced distribution we point out the main causes that threaten the habitat of H. caput-felis according to IUCN threats classification scheme and we also propose to label it in the Algerian Red List as regionally Critically Endangered (CRreg B1ab(i,ii,iii, v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,v); C2a(i,ii); D). An updated report on the distribution and conservation status of the endangered Cat's Head RockroseKeywords: Conservation, IUCN, Mediterranean flora, northern Africa, threatened flora.Spanish abstract: Helianthemum caput-felis...

Assessing the global conservation status of the rock rose Helianthemum caput-felis

“…We located records of H. caput-felis in 49 localities along the western Mediterranean coasts, mainly in Spain (32 localities, including two in Melilla), followed by Morocco (nine localities), Italy and Algeria (four localities in each country; Table 1). We confirmed the presence of H. caput-felis in 41 localities, 40 of which we verified in the field, and one of which was documented in Agulló et al (2017; no. 49 in Table 1).…”

“…The status of the species in North Africa remains unclear, however. In three Algerian localities where occurrence was documented by recent herbarium specimens Agulló et al (2017) were unable to confirm presence but did locate the species in a previously undocumented locality. The species' status also requires clarification in Morocco, where we could not confirm presence in one previously documented locality.…”

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Fig. 1Number of localities subject to each of the main threats (Table 1) to the rock rose Helianthemum caput-felis populations; data for Algeria was obtained from Agulló et al (2017).

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“…Additionally, all sites along the coasts of Sardinia, the Balearic Islands and the Mediterranean coasts of Spain and Morocco with suitable ecological conditions for the species were surveyed. No surveys were made on the Algerian coast, for which information was obtained from Agulló et al (2017).…”

“…The global conservation status of H. caput-felis was previously unknown because only regional or local assessments were available, and there was little information on the species distribution and conservation status in Africa. Helianthemum caput-felis is categorized as Endangered in Europe (Bilz et al, 2011) and Spain (Agulló et al, 2010), and as Critically Endangered in Italy (Fenu et al, 2015b) and Algeria (Agulló et al, 2017). In addition, according to the European Habitat Directive H. caput-felis has an inadequate conservation status in Italy (Fenu et al, 2017).…”