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, 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, 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. Summer. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: A weed in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) fields (Batanouny).

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, 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. 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, 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, 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, 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: 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. 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, 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: 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, 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: 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 (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: 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.