Kingdom : Fern, Flora, Ophioglossaceae

Growth form: Fern. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Local. First published record: Abdel Bari (1995); see also Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional, N and S Qatar, sandy areas. Uses: Used to be eaten as salad greens (Jongbloed et al.).

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occurs in the NW of Al Khor town (Mohammed Al Safran) and seen by MAS at two locations in W Qatar. Batanouny recorded it at Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah and Umm Bab. Usually in saline […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Perennial herb or shrublet. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. First record: SW Qatar, March 2007 (John Norton and S. Aspinall). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: In moderately firm sand mixed with gravel, and similar habitats. A species also of stable sand dunes in some other parts of the Gulf. […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Jan–Dec. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Reported by Batanouny as a rare weed of lawns.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or short-lived perennial herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Local. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: Kuwait. habitat & distribution: A garden weed.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated lands, in light or sandy areas. Uses: Taken as a purgative (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in lawns, gardens and other cultivated areas. Uses: The plant is poisonous if eaten in any quantity (Rizk & El-Ghazaly); roots and leaves are used as an anti-haemorhagic (Ghazanfar).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from Al Khor by El Amin.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in C and W Qatar. Previously recorded from Salwa and Jebel Dukhan, on saline, Sandy areas. Uses: The deep red root is used by bedouin women as a cosmetic (rouge).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant on shallow sandy deposits in all habitat types except saline areas. Perhaps more abundant in S and SW Qatar. Uses: ‘Women formerly used the powdery red dust, that rubs off the thick […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Schismus species are frequent to abundant over Qatar in sandy soils. Cope describes the habitat of S. arabicus as ‘dry banks, wadi beds and sandy hollows’. Uses: Widely known as an important grazing species […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from a sand dune near Umm Bab. Uses: ‘The fruits are edible and freshen the mouth with their tart taste’ (Cornes & Cornes). Twigs said to be pounded and added to milk […]

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. May–Jul. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE. Habitat & distribution: In Qatar mainly in disturbed areas where there is run-off of rainwater or irrigation, such as farms, roadsides and gardens. Rarely away from habitation. Not included in the accounts by Batanouny or El Amin, but was probably […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded as a weed of irrigated land.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated fields. Uses: An important crop and fodder plant. Rizk & El-Ghazaly describe the medicinal properties of this species.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from Jebel Al Wakra.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to locally frequent in shallow, often somewhat compact, sand; particularly in sandy or gravelly depressions. Uses: Phillips quotes Dickson (1955) reporting that the seeds of the plant were used by the Bedu of Kuwait […]

Kingdom : Flora, Sedge

Growth form: Sedge. Flowering. Mar–Jun. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Batanouny only recorded it in a permanently wet area at Ras Ushirij, at the edge of a patch of Typha domingensis.

Kingdom : Bee-eater, Birds

Larger than European Bee-eater and distinctly green or turquoise-green with a chestnut throat, long central tail-streamers and rusty red underwings framed dark on trailing edge. Juvenile duller and lacks long tail projections. From young European Bee-eater (more uniform greenish upperparts than in adult) by entirely green plumage including crown and underparts, long tail-streamers, and rusty […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Introduced.Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: An escape from cultivation; the wild form occurs in saltmarshes but has not been recorded from Qatar. Uses: Cultivated as a vegetable. The plant has diuretic, aphrodisiac and various other medicinal properties (Rizk & El-Ghazaly). Notes: Beta vulgaris […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Cultivated areas, C and N Qatar. A weed of garden origin. Uses: ‘Leaves eaten in Iran in stews but bitter in taste’ (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Most of year. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: The main constituent of lawns in urban areas; occasional in natural habitats. Uses: Of economic importance due to its widespread use in making lawns. Medicinal uses worldwide are described by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: To be confirmed.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: The habitat of this species is similar to other species of Cenchrus. Notes: Tentatively listed for Qatar by Cope on the basis of the photograph included in Batanouny (Plate 111), mis-labelled as C. pennisetiformis.

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Present distribution in Qatar not known but widespread in the Gulf. Uses: Ornamental planting.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from roads and runnels in C Qatar, but not recorded by any other authors from Arabia. Uses: El Amin mentions that it is used medicinally in West Africa to treat dysentery, heart […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from C and W Qatar, including Dukhan. Uses: Good fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant on sand sheets, drifting sand and small dunes, especially in S Qatar. Uses: Batanouny remarks that it is grazed, but not preferred by animals. The species has potential to be used as a […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Marine perennial herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: In areas around the coast; widespread (Benno B?er). Collected from Al Khor shore by El Amin.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from a stony area at Umm Slal Mohammed.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded from Dukhan; recorded twice recently in W Qatar. Uses: The roots are used to treat haemorhoids, malaria and fevers; the leaves are locally applied to wounds, burns, abscesses, bites and inflamations (Rizk & El-Ghazaly). […]

Kingdom : Birds, Bunting

Male has unstreaked yellowish green crown, but otherwise plumage is grey. Throat white but in females whitish grey. Feet and bill in both sexes yellowish brown and eye dark brown in colour. Recorded in Qatar as passage migrant.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. habitat & distribution: A weed of irrigated gardens. Uses: Many medicinal uses such as to sooth wounds and ulcers and to treat diarrhoea (Rizk & El- Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional on gravel plains, stony or rocky areas, growing in thin sandy deposits. Uses: Poisonous and animals avoid it (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Jan–May. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: In the Gulf generally it is widely planted in shelterbelts, but also escapes into areas around gardens and farms. Uses: It is well known that the oil is extracted for medicinal uses, particularly as a laxative, and that the […]

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Common. Not in other Gulf Areas. Habitat & distribution: Mainly gardens and roadsides in towns and cities. Uses: Widely planted for ornament and shade. Notes: Several species are planted in the Gulf (Miller & Cope); C. equisetifolia L. probably being the more common and widespread. C. cunninghamiana […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated areas and with trees, particularly in N and NW Qatar. Uses: Ghazanfar reports the whole plant is used to treat skin rash and ulcers. Notes: Formerly placed in the Primulaceae. The blue-flowering […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. May–Aug. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from a small number of sites by Batanouny. It grows at Abu Nakhla wastewater ponds south of Doha (MAS) and is likely to be more frequent now, due to the increase in permanently wet […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from a stony area with accumulated fine soil at Umm Slal Mohammed. Notes: Batanouny ascribed his plant to var. psilostachys Hal?csy (not formally recognised by Cope).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of gardens and other irrigated, cultivated areas. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly list numerous medicinal uses.

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in roadside plantations. Rarely found naturalised. Uses: A list of medicinal uses is given by Rizk & El-Ghazaly. Ghazanfar reports that the leaves, fruit and seeds are used to treat blisters, bruises, chest pains, dandruff, fractures and mouth […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or short-lived perennial. Flowering. Dec–Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from Al Khor by Batanouny.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy saline depressions. Uses: Jongbloed et al. note its use to treat abdominal and rheumatic pains.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or perennial herb, or small shrub. Flowering. May–Aug. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Miller & Cope (1996). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Gravel desert on the north coast (Miller & Cope). Notes: Only subsp. noeana occurs in Qatar; subsp. brachystyla (Chamberlain & Lamond) is found elsewhere in Arabia. The plant […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in irrigated, cultivated areas. Noted as a ‘serious weed’ in some regions by Cornes & Cornes.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Reported from a farm near Al Khor by El Amin. Notes: A typographical error in El Amin’s book inadvertently put this species into the genus Senecio, but the record in any case is doubtful as this species is […]

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Planted at Mesaieed Industrial City (John Norton), but may be more widespread. Uses: A saline-tolerant tree producing dense foliage, making it suitable for use as shade and screening.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny, growing over Ziziphus.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: El Amin recorded it near Al Khor. Uses: El Amin remarks that the white fibres are used as cotton stuffings.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in damp areas, including the edges of cultivated fields. Uses: Grazed, and used for fodder.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–Jun. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of lawns and gardens in Doha. Uses: The plant has numerous medicinal uses, including the treatment of bruises, clots, fever, snake bite and infections (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from irrigated lawns in Doha to Batanouny. Uses: Medicinal uses are listed by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Grass. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Cope (2007). Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: The typical habitats include seashores; but also found in irrigated lawns and gardens. Notes: Cope maps a record for this species over Doha. He notes that much of the material originally […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant in sandy and silty depressions; mainly C and N Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant in shallow sandy areas, including runnels; mainly in C and S Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent on gravel and stone plains, compacted sand sheets and similar habitats. Uses: El Amin mentions that some local people boil it to cure fevers.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Mainly in NE Qatar, where locally frequent on more compact soils. Well- grown bushes occur at Ras Laffan Industrial City (John Norton) and the species is also found at Al Dhakira, Fuwairit and Simaismah (Mohammed Al Safran). Notes: […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Miller & Cope (1996). Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A plant of rocky places over Arabia generally.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

شكل الإنبات: عشبة حولية. الإزهار: فبراير – مارس. الأصل: دخيلة نادرة. مسجلة أيضا في: الكويت وشرق السعودية والإمارات. التربة والتوزيع: آفة في البساتين وتنمو عادة في التربة الرملية.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant on thin sandy deposits and other rocky areas; also in other sandy habitats, gardens and cultivated areas.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional on sandy and gravelly soils, including disturbed soils around towns.

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Planted all over Qatar. Naturalised on the coast at Umm Bab. Uses: Cultivated in plantations and gardens, especially for the edible fruit (Debbie Allante); also along roadsides to provide greenery and shade. Various authors describe cultural […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Very rare on Sandy areas (Batanouny). Mainly a coastal species in the Gulf.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded by Batanouny from farms in N and C Qatar. Uses: A number of medicinal properties are listed by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional; generally on harder substrates in shallow sand or sandy runnels, especially in S and C Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Jan–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to locally dominant, in sandy and silty depressions, runnels, wadis and on rocky slopes. Stunted specimens have been recorded in saline habitats. Often grows with stands of Acacia and Ziziphus trees. Uses: Grazed by […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Parasitic perennial herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: On damp, saline sand, including beaches. Frequent at Dukhan water treatment works, growing on Tetraena qatarensis and nearby on the west coast (John Norton); also occurs at Ras Laffan (Renee Richer), Mesaieed and Khor […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in C Qatar; also recorded at Doha. Notes: Cope notes that much of the material originally named as this species was in fact Parapholis incurva (L.) C.E. HuBenno B?er. However, he thinks that Henrardia pubescens is also […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Biennial or perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy and gravelly habitats. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly describe a number of medicinal uses. Notes: Batanouny describes three varieties occuring in Qatar: var. bruguieri, var. laxa Boiss. and var. rechingeri Hadidi.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Cultivated areas. Uses: Leaves and seeds used as salad, also used as a herb and spice in cooking for its aniseed-like Flavouring, e.g. to Flavour rice dishes. Numerous medicinal uses are described by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. All year. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Not known but widespread throughout the Gulf; native to parts of UAE and Oman. Uses: Widely planted in towns for shade and landscaping. The bitter roots are used medicinally, including as a diuretic and emetic. Ghazanfar states that the leaves are […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in N and S Qatar on roads and in gardens, usually in shade of trees.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in urban areas, particularly irrigated roadside plantations, lawns and gardens; tolerant of salinity.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Summer. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: A weed in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) fields (Batanouny).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent or abundant in farms and gardens. Uses: Used as fodder (El Amin). Eaten raw by bedouin as a salad herb (Mandaville).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. May–Jul. Status: Introduced.Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: May occur as an escape from cultivation. Uses: This is a very common and widely grown fodder crop throughout the Arabian peninsula. Ghazanfar states the leaves are used to treat bruises, fractures and to stop nose-bleeds. Seeds are […]

Kingdom : Geometer moths, Insects, Moths and Butterflies

Insect follows Geometridae family, and Lepidoptera order. It is green or light green, wing is 20 mm long. Larva feed on herbs.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Biennial or perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Local. Not in other Gulf Areas. Habitat & distribution: An occasional escapee, e.g. along irrigated roadsides. Uses: Cultivated for its aniseed-flavoured seeds, which are widely used in Asian cooking. Numerous medicinal uses are described by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from Al Sheehaniyah and Al Karaanah in sandy depressions and runnels.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: One of the more widely planted fig species. It may occasionally escape into the wild. Uses: Grown for fruit and as an ornamental plant.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in cultivated farms, gardens and other irrigated land. Uses: Good fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Sep. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional, in gardens and cultivated areas. Uses: Flowering branches are used as an antirheumatic and diuretic; the aerial part is used in the treatment of liver and urinary diseases, and stomach ulcers (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Cope (2007). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: A plant of rocky areas. The map in Cope shows a locality marked on the west coast.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to abundant or locally dominant in moderately compact sand or silt, especially in rocky areas and often around inhabited areas and farmland. Uses: Described by Mandaville as ‘useful fodder grass’.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. May–Jun. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of wet places. Uses: Sometimes cultivated as ground cover in parts of the Gulf. A wide variety of medical uses are known (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Mar–Nov. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Subsp. indica is widely planted in the Gulf and presumably in Qatar; it is native to parts of Saudi Arabia and Oman. Uses: The wood has various construction uses and can used as firewood and for producing charcoal. The […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Jan–Mar. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: Kuwait. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from a roadside. Uses: A salad herb. Various medicinal uses are reported.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native.Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant in sandy habitats, especially after winter rains. Depressions in the Dukhan area in 2007 turned green with this species. May be less common in E Qatar. Uses: Grazed by sheep and goats (El Amin). […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in northern Qatar. Occurs in the Dukhan area on compacted gypsum soils (John Norton). Uses: Grazed and liked by camels, sheep and other livestock.

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. May–Aug. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A survey by Mohammed Al Safran confirmed that there are two main areas of distribution in C and N Qatar. At the ‘Al Ghafat’ area at RawDebbie Allant Rashed there are eight trees and at the ‘Al Ghaf […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to locally frequent in shallow sand in wadis and runnels; often within rocky areas. Uses: Eaten by all animals (El Amin). Notes: Recorded as C. aucheri (Boiss.) Stapf by Batanouny, but later apparently redetermined as C. plumulosus […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of moist ground in cultivated areas. Notes: The record of P. equisetiformis by Obeid (1975) reported by Batanouny, a Mediteranean species, is probably referable to this species (see Miller & Cope 1996, p. 129) […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in dried out saline areas, such as the edges of irrigated fields and along beaches, on compacted sand or other soils; mainly NE Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded only once on Jebel Dukhan by El Amin. Uses: Used as a diuretic and astringent (Batanouny); a powerful narcotic and stomach iRenee Richeritant (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent on compact or thin soils over most of Qatar. Uses: ‘Good fodder’ (El Amin). The scientific name refers to its use in treating hernias (mentioned for Europe by Jongbloed et al.). It is […]

Kingdom : Insects, Mantis

Insect follows Mantidae family, and Mantodea order. It is green and size is about 100 mm. The insect is a predator to other insects.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from Al Wabrah. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: A weed of gardens in Doha.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Nov. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait. Habitat & distribution: Locally abudant at Al Khor; also at Umm Tais (Renee Richer).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A plant in fruit was photographed by S. Aspinall from SW Qatar in March 2007.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Silty depressions. Uses: Chamomile tea is brewed from Flower heads, ‘known to both bedouin and villagers’ (Mandaville) and is used for general stomach problems such as colic, cramps and stomach aches (Ghazanfar).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Details not noted by Abdel Bari, but recorded from wadis and plantations in the UAE (Jongbloed).

Kingdom : Birds, Goose

Smallest duck to occur in the region. Short-neck, and short, stubby, goose-like bill, round body with high rear end on water. Male unmistakable with white head, neck and underparts with black cap, eye and band across white breast. Black back with greenish and purple gloss. Female is a drabber version of the male. Flight is […]

Kingdom : Birds, Goose

Slightly larger than a Ruddy Shelduck, has black flight feathers , green speculum and striking white forewing and underwing coverts. Otherwise brownish buff, with variable brownish or greyish upperparts, pale fore-neck and face with prominent dark eye patch, dark collar and belly patch. Legs are long and pink.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or locally frequent in small sandy or silty depressions; C and S Qatar. Uses: ‘The plant is sometimes eaten raw by bedouin, who may also use it in the preparation of iqt (dried sour milk cakes)’ […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of damp areas in farms and gardens. Uses: The plant is applied externally for bruises; various medicinal uses of the seed are reported (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Green lacewings, Insects, Net-Winged Insects

Insect follows Chrysopidae family, and Neuroptera order. It is green, size is about 12-20 mm. Adults feed on flower nectars, whereas nymphs are predators to Aphids.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: A weed of irrigated, cultivated places. Uses: Medicinal uses are described by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy habitats in C and S Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded from Al Karaanah. Uses: The plant has purgative properties (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Climbing, parasitic shrub. Flowering. Sep–Oct. Status: Native. Local. First record: Al-Madheed (2004). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Occasional, growing on Acacia and Lycium shawii; especially in C & N Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent; usually on harder substrates with shallow deposits of sand. uses: Eaten by camels; leaves are eaten in salads.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Oct–Nov. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Coastal areas, including Umm Bab, Salwa and Al Khor.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced.Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of disturbed and enriched habitats, including cultivated areas, sewage ponds and gardens. Uses: Batanouny noted that the fruit is edible. Mandaville states that although sometimes listed as a poisonous plant, he has seen the ripe […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. All year. Status: Introduced. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny but no information given on status or distribution; likely to occur in damp, cultivated areas, as in other parts of the world.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual (occasionally perennial) herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded on a silt pan NE of Zikreet in 2007 (John Norton).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in sandy depressions. Abundant in the Dukhan to Umm Bab area after rains in 2007 (John Norton).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Shrublet or small shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent on sand sheets, depressions and other sandy areas.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Parasitic herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: Kuwait. Habitat & distribution: A parasite on Solanum nigrum.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr–Jun. Status: Native. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. H.abitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in wadis and runnels, often within rocky areas.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from roadside runnel at Al-Amiriyah and on waste land near irrigation. Uses: An infusion of the leaves is drunk for respiratory and intestinal ailments and the fruits are used in the treatment of gastric ulcers […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Aug–Nov. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Widespread on harder substrates including compacted, moderately saline, Sandy areas including sabkha edge. Uses: El Amin states that it is known for good salt grazing for camels and other animals.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrublet. Flowering. Jan–Jun. Status: Native. Common. First published record: Mandaville (1990, p.181). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy habitats. It appears to be relatively frequent in western coastal areas (John Norton, Sara Abdul Majid) and is also common across a large part of the UAE (Jongbloed et […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Parasitic herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated areas on many different hosts including crops such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum); also on trees such as Prosopis and Ziziphus, and also on Chenopodium, Fagonia and Trigonella spp.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual parasitic herb. Flowering. Jan–Dec. Status: Introduced. Local. Needs confirmation for Qatar. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Batanouny mentions that this species is a fairly common parasite of cultivated alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), as well as Ziziphus nummularia. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly list a large number […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Parasitic herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Abdel Bari records it as a ‘common parasite on ornamental annuals.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to locally abundant in sandy depressions and runnels; mainly SW Qatar, including Al Karaanah. Uses: Good fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in irrigated places, including gardens. Uses: Grazed by animals (El Amin), but widely known to have toxic effects on livestock. Used to treat rheumatic pain and various other medical conditions and has narcotic action […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in irrigated places, including gardens. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly list various medicinal uses including treatment of rashes, abdominal cramps and genital diseases.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Apr–Jul. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy areas, particularly in depressions and runnels; though single plants may cover a large area. Uses: El Amin reports that the ripe fruit were used to prepare gunpowder. The plant is well known […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional as a weed of disturbed areas and silty depressions.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Sandy and gravelly soils in C Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abudant, often locally dominant. Always on hard surfaces, including gravel plains, stony and and rocky areas, where there is a thin covering of silt or sand. Uses: El Amin remarks that it is not […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Endemic to the Arabian Peninsula. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant, or dominant in gravel plains and saline sandy habitats, including sabkha edge and beaches. Uses: Not edible to humans and usually avoided by wild animals and livestock. […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Jun–Sep. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent or abundant in coastal saline areas, including beaches and sabkha, occasionally in other habitats. Uses: ‘In Bahrain, the Flowers are used as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory’ Rizk & El-Ghazaly.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent, on gravel plains, sand sheets, coastal sand and other areas with firm sandy areas; over most of Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Biennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in sandy and silty soils. Uses: Edible to man and animals (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy depressions in S Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy areas; W and S Qatar. Notes: L. glinoides and L. schimperi were formerly regarded as distinct species, and are probably best amalgamated, but not all authors agree.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Dec. Status: Introduced. Local. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: A garden weed. Uses: Leaves are used for constipation and stomach cramps (Ghazanfar).

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Sep–Feb. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Planted in urban areas in the Gulf, but distribution in Qatar uncertain. Uses: Widely used in the Middle East as a dye for painting hands and feet and worldwide for colouring hair and beards. The leaves are used for […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub or small tree. Flowering. Jan–May. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Mainly planted by roadsides. Native to parts of Saudi Arabia and the Hajar Mountains in UAE (Jongbloed). Uses: As an ornamental and for screening; often clipped into hedges. Ghazanfar reports that the leaves are used […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy habitats in S Qatar. Previously also recorded from Al Wakra and Wadi Al Banat.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in stony habitats and compacted, often saline soils. Uses: In Bahrain, the leaves are used as an antibiotic and laxative; infusion of leaves or the seeds is applied to the eyes in […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Biennial or perennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in sandy habitats. Uses: ‘The leaves are used to treat fevers and to stop excessive bleeding after childbirth’ (Ghazanfar). Rizk & El-Ghazaly also state that they are put on the heads […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in silty depressions. Uses: The plant is poisonous and used as an insecticide (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Birds, Ibis

Blackish with long decurved bill. Close views however show plumage to be a deep purple-chestnut, glossed green on wings. In winter bill is brownish with fine pale streaks on head and neck. Juvenile plumage much duller. Fast wing-beats in flight often followed by long glides, frequently in long-line formation.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant in saline habitats, including sabkha edge, saltmarsh and the edges of permanent wetland areas. Sometimes dominates large areas of saline flats. Uses: El Amin states this species to be good fodder.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to locally abundant in silty or sandy depressions and runnels; mainly N and C Qatar. Large tussocks of this lemon-scented species dominate silt pans in parts of Ras Laffan Industrial City where there is no […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded as common in irrigation channels and other damp areas in cultivated lands, but seen only once by the present authors. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of lawns (Batanouny) and waste ground (Abdel Bari).

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrublet. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abdel Bari found this species near Doha central market, suggesting that it has been introduced by human activity. Uses: Ghazanfar states the roots are used for an analgesic and as an anti-inflammatory; leaves are […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant, or locally dominant in shallow sandy runnels and depressions on gravel plains; mostly S Qatar. Uses: ‘Whole plant is good fodder; fruit eaten by animals’ (El Amin); Mandaville also states that the very […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Coarse gravels, sandy depressions and runnels; C Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Silty depressions, N and C Qatar (El Amin). Uses: El Amin mentions that it is used by locals to clean and perfume their teeth.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Stony runnels and silty soils; C and N Qatar. Occasional at Ras Laffan (John Norton) and mentioned for Jebel Fuwairit by earlier authors. Uses: Many reputed medicinal uses, e.g. for fevers and cholera (El Amin), […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Jan–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in C and N Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Cultivated areas.

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Jewel beetles

Beetle follows Buprestidae family, and Coleoptera order. The beetle is big-sized (between 29-31 mm), has a glossy green colour with glossy yellow spots. It feeds on wild tree flower’s nectar from Aril to June. Larva has a flattened head and lives as diggers inside wild trees.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent on rocky ground and shallow, compacted sand; especially SW Qatar. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly report that in Bahrain the leaves are used as purgative and hypoglycaemic.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated fields in C Qatar. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin). Cultivated as forage in many parts of the world (Mandaville).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Reported by Batanouny as common; S and W Qatar. El Amin also states that it occurs at Al Wakra, Al Karaanah and Mekainis.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Sep–Oct. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in coastal areas and wherever saline soils occur, including irrigated farmland. Uses: El Amin remarks that fresh leaves are sold in markets in Qatar for eating in salads. Stems and leaves are also used […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated lands in N Qatar. Uses: ‘Good fodder’ (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent or abundant on sand sheets, gravel plains and other sandy habitats. Uses: Mandaville remarks that the plant is traditionally used by one of the bedouin tribes to treat mange of camels. Ghazanfar records […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in gypsum desert, shallow or compacted silty soils. Particularly numerous at Dukhan (John Norton); also recorded Ras Laffan (John Norton), Al Wakra, Al Karaanah (earlier authors). Uses: El Amin notes that it is grazed by […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occurs in C and S Qatar in sandy depressions; often dominant or mixed with Acacia spp. uses: The fruit is edible, sweet and ‘also used to treat coughs’ (El Amin). The species can be used for […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in disturbed areas, especially around towns and villages.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrublet. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded in SW Qatar, west of Al Karaanah and Wadi Al Ireig. Recently seen in MeSara Abdul Majideer area (Mohammed Al Safran).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in silty, loamy and gravelly soils; mainly in depressions in C Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy areas; particularly W Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded in S Qatar at Al Karaanah and some areas in the north (Mohammed Al Safran). Grows in silty and sandy depressions and other areas with fine, shallow soils.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded in sandy soils and silty depressions in cultivated areas. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly mention that an infusion of the plant is used as a cooling agent against sunstroke and that the root is astringent and […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded only once by Batanouny from a northern farm.

Kingdom : Climber, Flora

Growth form: Climber. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from Al Karaanah and Al KhaRenee. Still at the latter location, and also present at Qatar University campus (Mohammed Al Safran). Usually grows over Ziziphus or Acacia trees. Uses: Fruit edible (El Amin). Used in the treatment of fevers (Rizk […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Locally abundant in salt marsh and sabkha edge, or occasionally on saline sand; mainly N Qatar and the E coast.

Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers

Unmistakable with long up-turned crest and greenish upperparts; in flight, broad rounded wings show no wing-bar. In winter upperparts have narrow pale scaling to feathers. Often in large flocks outside breeding season.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from sandy soils and gravelly depressions, but he does not mention a location.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in sandy soils after rains; is more common in and around inhabited and cultivated areas uses: Mandaville quotes earlier authors who reported that the leaves are eaten as a vegetable by […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded near Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah on a ‘mud plain’.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional as a roadside weed in Dukhan township in 2007 (John Norton). Uses: The plant is good for asthma; the milky juice is used to remove corns, warts and in the treatment of cancer of the […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occurs on various soils and a weed in urban areas, but may have been frequently mis-recorded for C. serpens. Uses: Sap is applied to poisonous bites (Jongbloed et al.). Notes: One of several very […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin on disturbed soils; C Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Jan–Mar. Status: Native. Uncertain. Also recorded: Kuwait. Habitat & distribution: A species of moist ground. Notes: The only Stellaria species listed for Qatar by Miller & Cope, who comment on the difficulty in identifying this and S. media with certainty.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy habitats. Previously recorded from Al Karaanah, Al Wakra and Wadi Al Banat and recently from Al Khorh and other parts of W Qatar. Uses: El Amin reported that it is […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivation, irrigated soils and waste ground.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Dec–Jun. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A species of coastal, slightly saline sand. Recorded from NW Qatar by Batanouny.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy soils.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Apr–Jun. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in C Qatar. Notes: Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) Sweet is listed as a synonym by Jongbloed, though usually regarded as a separate species.

Kingdom : Birds, Duck

Large dabbling duck. Male easily told by dark greenish head, yellow bill, and brown breast and grey body. In flight see grey wings, dark blue speculum distinctly bordered by white, and white underwing coverts. Female is mottled brown like other female ducks and told mostly by size, bill shape, bill colour, and wing pattern. Differing […]

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Sheltered bays and creeks, often along the tide line; usually dominant where it occurs. Main surviving areas are at Umm Tais, Ras Laffan, Al Dhakhira, Al Khor, all in NE Qatar and Al Wakra. Abulfatih et al. […]

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy habitats. Although a dominant component of the coastal vegetation over much of the Gulf, it prefers non-saline, fairly deep sand and therefore is restricted in Qatar, mainly to western coastal areas. In […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb or shrub. Flowering. Jan–Dec. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded only once by Batanouny, but the species is now widespread (Abdel Bari 1997). Plentiful in Phragmites ponds at Dukhan water treatment works in 2007 (John Norton). Notes: There is a discussion on the taxonomy […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Described as ‘sandy plains, often overlying limestone’ (Cope). Notes: See comments under S. arabicus.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Locally abundant in silty depressions in C Qatar. Uses: Eaten as salad or cooked with rice to add flavour (El Amin, Jongbloed et al.). Used as a purgative in Bahrain (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy areas of S and W Qatar. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Bugs, Insects, Jumping plant lice

Insect follows Psyllidae family, and Hemiptera order. It was first discovered in Qater’s Masaed Town (Sealine resort). Size is 2 mm; male is green and female is black. It feeds by sucking on plants.

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Oct–Jan, Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to abundant or dominant in sandy areas, disturbed habitats and cultivated areas. Originally planted in and around towns and villages but now naturalised and has spread into desert areas. Several authors note that it […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in irrigated lawns and gardens. Uses: Good fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from a single location by Batanouny, but occurs in irigated lawns and other damp places elsewhere in the Gulf, so may be more widespread now in Qatar. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly list numerous cosmetic and medicinal […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Jun. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Often abundantt in small silty depressions. Scattered plants may occur anywhere in sandy or silty habitats. Uses: Various authors report its use in traditional medicine, including use as a diuretic.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass, Herb

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. habitat & distribution: Batanouny recorded this taxon from Umm Slal Mohammed growing in small depressions on calcareous ridges. It may also occur as a weed species in cultivated areas, as it does elsewhere in the Gulf. Uses: Mandaville remarks that […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: A prostrate shrublet. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent on silty or sandy depressions with compacted soil. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly report that the plant is used for removing tumours and pain.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional as a weed of crops. Uses: The leaves are used as a vegetable to make the Arabic dish mulakhiyah. A number of medicinal uses are listed by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in shallow sandy deposits, sandy depressions and cultivated areas. Uses: Those listed by Ghazanfar include treatment of colic, constipation, swollen and inflamed eyes, using the leaves.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Jul. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in shallow sandy deposits.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in sandy habitats. Uses: Said to be ‘palatable grazing’ by Batanouny, although El Amin says it is grazed by animals but not much liked because of the bristly fruit. Notes: A […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in silty depressions; mainly N Qatar. Uses: Noted as palatable to livestock by Batanouny and El Amin.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb or small shrub. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain. Habitat & distribution: Occasional at Ras Laffan and Mesaieed (John Norton), but absent from the west coast. Also listed by Abdel Bari as ‘widespread’. Appears to prefer compact or disturbed gravelly or silty soils, particularly in depressions and wadis. Uses: […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in irrigated lawns, groves and other tree plantations. Uses: El Amin notes that it ‘is used as fodder, but not of high value’. Various medicinal uses are reported.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional on compact saline soils around the coasts; especially N Qatar. Recorded from Ras Laffan (John Norton), just west of Doha (Renee Richer) and is common at Al Zubarah (Renee Richer). Uses: In Bahrain, the […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded from stony and rocky ground in N Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in gravel plains, gravelly depressions and other areas with compact soil. Notes: No confirmed recent records. It is possible that this species has been recorded in error in the past for S. sokotrana. Uses: Used for […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Appears only to have been recorded by Batanouny (and possibly also by El Amin) from a single locality as Al Sadd, S of Doha.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Oct–Nov. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in coastal areas. Uses: Grazed by sheep and camels and is valuable salt grazing (El Amin). Cornes & Cornes note that ‘Atriplex species are a good source of fodder, with high protein content’. Notes: Two […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr.sSatus: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated and disturbed areas, including farms and gardens. Uses: Leaves are used as an emollient; crushed leaves are applied to scorpion stings, snake bites, irritating or itchy rashes (Ghazanfar).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivated fields and gardens.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated and disturbed areas, including farms and gardens. Uses: Used in the treatment in a wide variety of stomach complaints and as a laxative (Rizk & El- Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Marine perennial herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Common. Not previously documented for Qatar. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: In areas around the coast; widespread (Benno B?er). Notes: See comments under Diplanthera spp.

Kingdom : Birds, Parakeet

Resembles distinctly larger version of Ring-necked, but with heavier bill and large red patch on shoulders at all ages (sometimes partly hidden when perched). Male female differences as for Rose-ringed.

Kingdom : Birds, Parakeet

Large green parakeet with long, graduated, pointed tail and short, deeply hooked red bill. In male, black throat continues round neck as a narrow rosy ring, absent in female and juvenile where throat green and bill horn-coloured. The larger Alexandrine has red shoulder-patch, absent in Rose-ringed. Flight swift, fast and direct but flocks may change […]

Kingdom : Birds, Peafowl

Weighs from 3.5-5kg. Introduced into Qatar. Male has distinctive long beautiful neck and long greenish glossy feathers with round spots, when displaying its blue, green and beautiful feathers in a dramatic way for attracting females. Peafowl is usually shy but very tame.

Kingdom : Aphids, Bugs, Insects

Insect follows Aphididae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is between 3-4 mm, and has green (sometimes rose) colour. It feeds on perennial herbs, potato buds, lettuce inside glass houses, tomato and cabbage. It feeds on buds and the lower surfaces of leaves.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded in N Qatar. Uses: Rizk & Ghazaly report that it used in the treatment of skin diseases.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in sandy habitats. Uses: Phillips and Mandaville note that the plant is edible. It is used as a remedy for stomach disorders (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native.Rare. First published record: Abulfatih et al. (2001) (included in a list of species recorded). Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A plant of rocky areas.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: An occasional weed of gardens and other cultivated places.

Kingdom : Grasshoppers, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Insects

Insect follows Acrididae family, and Orthoptera order. It is light brown with green, size is about 20-25 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Back legs are strong and long, help them move through jumping. Adults lay eggs in groups in soil.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny as occasional in deep alluvial soil.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–Sep. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in cultivated areas, including gardens. Uses: A salad herb, widely cultivated and available in many of Qatar’s markets as well as grocery stores and supermarkets. Is also highly palatable to animals. Jongbloed et al. […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub or small tree. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A characteristic species of deep, often drifting sand. Recorded only by El Amin, but, confusingly, he refers to this species as Haloxylon salicornicum. He recorded it east of Salwa at Mah Sobia hill (the […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant in salt marshes along coasts at Al Khor, Ras Eshairiq, Umm Bab and Dukhan. Also locally dominant on coastal sabkha at Ras Abrouq. Uses: Dry stems are used as firewood.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in rocky areas. El Amin recorded from Jebel Dukhan and Wadi Al Banat.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Depressions and runnels.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE.Habitat & distribution: Batanouny recorded as ‘fairly common’ in depressions, but it is not mentioned by El Amin; Mandaville states that it appears to be very rare in Saudi Arabia.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in sandy or gravelly depressions, growing amongst Acacia, Ziziphus and Lycium. It can be seen by the roadside of the Al Shamal highway from north of Doha to Al Khor and from Al […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in shallow sand, especially depressions and runnels. Uses: El Amin noted that the plant is eaten by ‘rabbits’ (i.e. Cape Hare Lepus capensis).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant in damp, sandy places; especially at the edges of irrigation channels and freshwater lagoons. Tolerant of low levels of salinity.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in silty and sandy depressions in C and N Qatar. Uses: The plant has various medicinal properties.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Not in other Gulf areras. Habitat & distribution: Recorded on the road from Doha to N Qatar near Umm Slal Mohammed by Batanouny.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). The salt-tolerant plant H. curassavicum L. is also very likely to occur in Qatar in gardens and farms. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivation.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in sandy depressions and runnels; mainly C Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Jul. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Distribution in Qatar uncertain. Widely planted and naturalised in the Gulf and native to parts of Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the far east of UAE (Jongbloed). One long- established clump occurs by an old well within Ras Laffan […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional on gravelly or sandy areas. Prevously recorded for N Qatar, but also found in the south. Uses: Medicinal uses are similar to those recorded for H. bacciferum.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Shrublet. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Mainly on harder, calcareous substrates in W Qatar. Frequent in the Dukhan area (John Norton).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: First published record: Obeid (1975). Not in other Gulf Floras. Notes: A North African species not recorded by other botanists in Arabia. Obeid’s record could relate to a casual occurrence of an introduced plant, or be in error for another species.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: A species of silty depressions which have held rainwater.

Kingdom : Flora, Rush

Growth form: Rush. Flowering. Nov-Dec. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in muddy saltmarshes and other damp, saline areas. Occurs at Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah, Al Dhakhira, Jebel Fuwairit (Mohammed Al Safran) and also previously recorded from Wadi El Ireig. Uses: Eaten by camels. Used to make […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrublet or small shrub. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in shallow silty or sandy soils, in rocky areas, also in depressions with coarse soils. Uses: The plant is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, gonorhoea, haemorhoids and eye diseases (Rizk & […]

Kingdom : Beetles, Checkered beetles, Insects

Insect follows Cleridae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 3.5-7 mm, has glossy greenish blue metallic colour; red legs and antennas. Insect feeds on meat fly larvas (Calliphora). Adult feeds on host surface whereas larvas feed inside dry or smoked meat, causing greater harm. Additionally, insect attacks bones, leather, coconut, dried egg, cheese and […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Locally dominant as reedbed fringing waste water lagoons and other permanent wetlands, especially at Abu Nakhla and Abu Hamour lagoons; also at Ras Laffan, Mesaieed and Dukhan. Uses: El Amin notes that it is used […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant on harder substrates; mainly C and S Qatar. Uses: Grazed by animals, especially goats and sheep (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of irrigated farmland. Uses: Used as fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from ‘C Qatar, Wakra hills’ (presumably Jebel Al Wakra, E Qatar). Habitat is given as light soils on depressions. Uses: The seeds yield an oil similar to linseed oil (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional on shallow Sandy areas uses: ‘The entire plant is used as a stimulant and aphrodisiac’ (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy areas and silty depressions; especially N and C Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Sep–Oct. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant in parts of SW Qatar in sandy areas between Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah and Al Karaanah. Also found at Al Khor, and locally elsewhere. An area has recently been developed at the Al Sheehaniyah racecourse […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from C and N Qatar in calcareous stony soils and saline areas. Uses: Favourite grazing for camels (Mandaville). Salt grazing (El Amin). Often used as firewood (Mandaville).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivated land.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Oct–Dec. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny in S Qatar ‘where it dominates a community on the road to the UAE’. Typical habitats in Saudi Arabia include sand dunes, rocky slopes, limestone and sandstone plateaux (Miller & Cope).

Kingdom : Flora, Sedge

Growth form: Sedge. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Locally frequent in coastal saline sand, including Ras Laffan, Fuwairit and other areas in NE Qatar (Mohammed Al Safran). Notes: Not previously documented for Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in Doha gardens and lawns, and in cultivated fields. May be native in some areas, but widely naturalised. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin). Toxicity to sheep and cattle has been reported; ingestion of seed- heads […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in shallow or deep sand; mainly S Qatar. Uses: It is well known that the seed pods embed the in the hooves of livestock and can cause lameness. El Amin states that […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Sep. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: Kuwait. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from Doha.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional on sandy or silty soils; often in disturbed areas around habitation. Occurs along parts of the NE coast and in sandy habitats in the south (Mohammed Al Safran). notes: Subspp. L m. mucronata and […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual or perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Cope (2007). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Details of the Cope record(s) not known, but a specimen of this species was collected by John Norton from a sandy depression in SW Qatar in 2007.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Dominant in moderately saline sandy and silty areas, including sabkha edge and other coastal habitats. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in sandy areas, often with other large shrubs and trees. Less less widely distributed than A. tortilis, but it is locally dominant in C and SE Qatar, especially at Al Sheehaniyah. Mandaville states that it […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Noted in two places in western Qatar, 2007 (John Norton), including one site on the outskirts of Dukhan township and another south of Umm Bab; both on compact, calcareous soils. Also Al Khor island (Renee Richer). Batanouny […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A frequent weed of cultivated and irrigated areas. Uses: Various medicinal uses have been documented.

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. May–Jun. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Locally dominant in sandy depressions, wadis and larger runnels, often prefering the slightly elevated ground at the edges of such features. Uses: Grazed by livestock and used for fodder and firewood. The gum is of […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in sandy or silty depressions, particularly under shade of trees.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Dec–May. Status: Introduced. Not confirmed for Qatar, but very likely to occur. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Likely to occur in similar habitats to C. granulata.

Kingdom : Flora, Sedge

Growth form: Sedge. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A species of marshy places, often in slightly saline habitats. Recorded by Batanouny at Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah in SW Qatar. Uses: Fodder for camels (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to dominant on beaches, sabkha edge and other saline habitats around the coasts. Uses: Ghazanfar states the whole plant is used against diarrhoea and as an astringent. Notes: The related species Limonium carnosum (Boiss.) Kuntze […]

Kingdom : Flora, Sedge

Growth form: Marine perennial herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Common. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas, though marine flowering plants appear to have been overlooked by some authors. Habitat & distribution: In areas around the coast; widespread (Benno B?er). Uses: Diplanthera spp. and Halophila spp. (p. 71) are an […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrublet or small shrub. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional, particularly on more compacted soils on gravelly and rocky areas, and also in disturbed areas near to habitation. Uses: Grazed by sheep and goats (El Amin), but Mandaville remarks that some bedouin consider […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Likely to be found planted or naturalised under shade of trees along roadsides or in plantations. Mandaville comments that in eastern Saudi Arabia it is self- propogating in the larger oases. Uses: Eaten by man and used […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Reported as rare by Batanouny and seen only once recently near Jebel Dukhan (John Norton).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from sandy soils in cultivated areas.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in stony and rocky areas and compact silty soils in depressions and by roads; mainly in NE Qatar. Uses: Buds are cooked and pickled and used as flavouring in cooking (El Amin). The leaves of the […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in SW Qatar in sandy and silty depressions. The village of Umm al Shubrum is named after the plant, which occurs in the area. Also found at Mekainis, Al Kharrarah and Umm Slal […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from C and S Qatar, including Umm Bab.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from gardens and cultivated lands. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Birds, Goose

A large, mainly white, goose-like duck. Black head and green gloss, broad chestnut belt around forepart of body and black belly-stripe with a prominent red bill. In flight, shows black flight feathers contrasting strongly with white upper and underwing coverts and black shoulders. Flight is goose like with slow wing beats.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Sep. Status: Native. Rare. An Arabian endemic. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Shallow, fine textured soil and pebbly habitats (Batanouny). Uses: Mandaville states that it is a main camel grazing species in parts of the Rub’ Al Khali.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. May. Status: Native. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny at a single location along the road N of Doha, in a small depression. Uses: The plant is known to have anti-microbial properties and is used as an antiseptic and an insecticide. Rizk & Ghazaly […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status:Native. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivation.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in softer sand. Notes: Subspecies ovalifolia and pakistanica Ghafoor both occur in Qatar; var. qatarensis Hadidi has also been described (IPNI), presumably from Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Sep–Oct. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant and often dominant on undulating sand, sabkha edge and over sand dunes from Mesaieed southwards. Uses: The leaves are used as a cleansing agent (Ghazanfar).

Kingdom : Birds, Duck

Medium sized, rather heavily built and short necked dabbling duck. Differs from all other ducks with huge spatulate bill. Swims with front end low and bill often dabbling in water. Shape and proportions unique. Male has unmistakable dark bill and glossy green head which contrast markedly with white breast and shoulder. Flanks and belly strikingly […]

Kingdom : Climber, Flora

Growth form: Climber. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy depressions, with Ziziphus or Acacia, N and C Qatar. Uses: Batanouny mentions that protruding branches are usually ‘trimmed’ by camels. ‘Certain plants of this genus yield ephedrine, used in the treatment of colds, asthma […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in irrigated places. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin). Notes: Cope lists subspp. sterilis and ludoviciana (Durieu) M. Gillet & Magne for Qatar; the latter is often treated as a separate species.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. habitat & distribution: Occasional on harder substrates and disturbed areas around inhabited areas. uses: Ghazanfar reports that the leaves, stems and roots are used for treating abdominal colic, dyspepsia, fever and venereal disease.

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to locally frequent where planted in gardens and roadsides. Rarely naturalised. Uses: Planted along roadsides as a shade tree. The fruits are edible.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded by El Amin from saline, sandy soils in S Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in S, W and C Qatar on sandy soils. Uses: El Amin remarks that the plant is ‘not liked’ as grazing, and that the ‘bedouin use it to cure scorpion stings’. Ghazanfar mentions the […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Feb–Jul. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in cultivated land and other irrigated areas, including gardens.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Local. First record: SW Qatar, March 2007 (John Norton & S. Aspinall). Miller & Cope mention a record for which there is no supporting specimen. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional, mainly on compact, gravelly soils in SW Qatar (found in 2007 at […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated lands in C Qatar by Batanouny, but presumably also occurs in natural areas with sandy and silty soils.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivation.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed species of cultivated areas. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from a depression at Al MagDebbie Allanh, growing under the shade of Ziziphus and Lycium bushes.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded as a weed of gardens. Notes: Plants recorded in Qatar are probably referable to var. corymbosa (DC.) Lourteig.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant and often dominant after winter rains on compact, shallow sandy soils in rocky areas and also in shallow sandy depressions and runnels. Uses: Batanouny remarks that it is grazed when young, but […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Jun. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Cultivated fields; N Qatar. Uses: The plant is used in the treatment of diabetes, rabies and other diseases and medical conditions; the leaves have diuretic properties. Poisoning of cattle from the plant has been reported (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Tuft moths

Insect follows Nolidae family, and Lepidoptera order. It is white and green; wing is 17-23 mm long. This butterfly is a dangerous pest for okra plant. Female lays oviparous on okra; larvas penetrate, feed on it and become unmerchantable.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. May–Nov. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny in a regularly irrigated lawn of Hotel in Doha. The species may also potentially occur in other wet habitats.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in wadis, runnels, depressions and other sandy areas. Uses: Batanouny notes that it is palatable to sheep & goats, but Mandaville states that excessive grazing is reported to cause bloat in livestock. Used […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy runnels, wadis and other sandy areas; also as a weed in irrigated gardens. Uses: Probably a useful grazing species.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Local. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded as ‘widespread’ in gardens. Uses: As its English name indicates, well-known as a cure for kidney stones and also used to treat liver diseases. Dried leaves and extracts of the […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual or short-lived perennial grass. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. First published record: Cope (2007). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia.Habitat & distribution: May occur in farm areas as an escape from cultivation.Uses: Cultivated for fodder. Notes: Derived from Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. and its wild ancestor S. arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf. (Cope).

Kingdom : Birds, Hen

Almost twice the size of Moorhen; huge red bill and frontal shield; red legs prominent. Plumage mostly uniform bluish with greyish head and neck. Swims with body stooped forward like Moorhen; white undertail-coverts often striking. In flight, shape like huge Moorhen with blue wings and long red legs. Juvenile drabber with greyish underparts, dull red […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. status: Introduced. Rare. First record: SW Qatar, March 2007 (S. Aspinall). Not in other Gulf Floras. habitat & distribution: A weed of crops such as chick-pea, so the record may refer to a plant that had escaped from a cultivated area. Not recorded elsewhere in the Gulf and possibly […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Oct. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in coastal saline habitats. Uses: Jong et al. note that the plant is suitable for saline irririgation and a promising landscape plant, and is also used to treat asthma.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. All year. Status: Introduced. Local. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: This species is a recent colonist in the Gulf; it is only included in the most recent literature for the region (Jongbloed et al.). In Qatar it is likely to […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Feb–Jul. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Cope (2007). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Seen only once recently, in W Qatar (S. Aspinall & John Norton, 2007), growing in compact, silty soil.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual (occasionally perennial) herb. Flowering. Apr–Jun. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated lands, field margins and disturbed areas; C Qatar. Uses: Like C. oblongifolia, used to produce dyes; however for C. tinctoria Mandaville states that although long used in southern Europe and the […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb or small shrub. Flowering. Dec–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated depressions, field margins and disturbed areas in C Qatar. Uses: Chrozophora species have been traditionally used in Arabia to produce dyes. Further details are given by Mandaville.

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Oct–Feb. status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: UAE. habitat & distribution: A frequently planted tree, often used as screening or shelterbelt around farMohammed Al Safran. uses: Mandaville notes its economic importance in Saudi Arabia, listing various uses including traditional house construction, ornamental planting, afforestation and dune stabilization. A number of medicinal uses […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in saline areas in S Qatar according to Batanouny. Notes: Needs confirmation as not listed for Qatar by Miller & Cope.

Kingdom : Birds, Duck

Smallest of the common ducks found in the region. Readily takes to the wing with swift flight. At distance, male looks dark headed with greyish body, yellow patches oon side of rump and thin white horizontal stripe on side of body. Female told from Garganey female by evenly coloured head and throat, small light patch […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Sep–Oct. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from saltmarsh at Al Khor and Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah. Uses: Cornes & Cornes report that the plant is intensively grazed by camels in sabkha areas and also by gazelles; Mandaville (citing an […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Oct–Nov. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in coastal areas and in S Qatar on deeper saline sand. Uses: Reported by Rizk & El-Ghazaly to have some degree of antimicrobial activity when ingested. Leaves are used to treat jaundice in Qatar (Ghazanfar).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant on sand sheets, sandy depressions and other sandy habitats. Especially common in S and SW Qatar, where it is a major component of the natural perennial vegetation. It probably avoids saline sand. Uses: Described […]

Kingdom : Flora, Sedge

Growth form: Sedge. Flowering. May–Jun. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A plant characteristic of deeper sand, especially larger dunes, but in Qatar also locally abundant around coastal areas on beach sand and on white sand inland. Occasional to locally frequent in other habitats, such as sandy […]

Kingdom : Empusid, Insects, Mantis

Insect follows Empusidae family, and Mantodea order. It is green and white spotted. Size is about 60 mm. It is a predator to other insects. Adults can move head and thorax one side, but movement is slow.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from N and C Qatar in silty or sandy areas; often associated with Ziziphus nummularia trees.

Kingdom : Beetles, Ground beetles, Insects

Beetle follows Carabidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 18-22 mm, metallic green, and is a predator to smaller invertebrates.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Sandy habitats; occasional in gardens; Dukhan township, 2007 (John Norton). Uses: Mandaville and Jongbloed et al. note its value as a spring grazing grass.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or perennial herb. Flowering. Dec–Mar. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of waste ground.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Sandy habitats; N Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: Kuwait. Habitat & distribution: Recorded along the road to Umm Bab; also Dukhan and C Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in sandy habitats. Not rare as noted by Batanouny, but only numerous after rains. Notes: Miller and Cope (1996, p. 219) distinguish two forms ‘A’ and ‘B’ in Arabia, of which […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Farms and cultivated areas. Uses: A widely cultivated vegetable. Has been used in the treatment of various medical conditions including arthritis, chest-colds, dysentery, fever, mastitis, rheumatism, scurvy and skin ailments (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant or sometimes dominant in sandy, often compacted soils, including coastal beach sand. Also in disturbed areas by roadsides and around towns and villages. Uses: Dried powdered leaves are used as a poultice […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Usually occurs on silty sand; recorded from S Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in sandy areas; especially W Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to abundant in shallow sandy deposits, including runnels and small depressions. The plant is extremely common in the west (Renee Richer). Uses: Its use as a charm and herbal aid in childbirth is […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

The only obvious yellow and olive-green warbler in the region. It has a peaked crown, yellow-orange bill and very long wings with pale wing panel. Conspicuous yellowish eye ring and lores making eye prominent. Legs blue-grey.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Large warbler, with long wings and short tail. Vivid green upperparts, with long broad yellow supercilium, ear coverts, throat and upper breast. Contrasting white underparts. Yellow-fringed secondaries form pale panel contrasting with blackish, whitish fringed tertials. Black alula visible, with yellow lower bill and pale legs. Rather active high up in trees.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Very similar to Hume’s Leaf Warbler. Brighter green upperparts, whiter underparts, very long, pronounced, yellow-white supercilium and 2 distinct yellow-white wing bars are main differences. The base of bill is also paler.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Rare. First record: SW Qatar, March 2007 (John Norton). Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: A single plant in fruit growing in thin soil on a rocky summit.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from Qatar University car park.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Reported as rare in N Qatar by Rizk & El-Ghazaly. El Amin listed C. trilocularis in the Arabic index to his book, but it was omitted from the species accounts. Uses: Cultivated as a vegetable. A number of medicinal uses […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: An occasional weed of cultivation. Uses: The leaves and sap have numerous medicinal properties.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivated and irrigated areas.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from Doha as a weed amongst cultivated plants.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Probably occasional throughout Qatar on shallow soils. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in fine soils in depressions, often under trees.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from irrigated soils at a large farm.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in silty roads in N and C Qatar, often under Acacia and Ziziphus. Uses: ‘Said to be eaten with stews’ (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Annual or short-lived perennial. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Rocky places; previously recorded N of Doha by Batanouny and recently in a few sites in NE Qatar (Mohammed Al Safran).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy and silty depressions with Ziziphus trees. In Saudi Arabia Mandaville recorded it as a weed of disturbed ground around farms and roadsides. Uses: The plant has antifungal and antibacterial properties.