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: 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: 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, 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: 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: Small shrub. Flowering. Mar–Jul. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Being a favoured grazing species is rarely seen in quantity. Frequent in the western part of Ras Laffan Industrial City (John Norton 2004) where protected from grazing; very scattered in western Qatar in 2007. Batanouny […]

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, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Apr–May, Oct–Nov. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from Jebel Dukhan. Uses: Used as firewood and the bark provides tannins; used for shelter belts (El Amin).

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, 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, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in rocky terrain in shallow deposits of sand or silt, but also recorded in cultivated areas. Uses: The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. Mandaville reports from an earlier source that it was sometimes […]

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: Perennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE.Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in S and C Qatar, in sandy depressions and runnels. Uses: The bulb is reputed to be edible, although Mandaville says it is bitter, whilst Jongbloed et al. state that the capsule is […]

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, 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: 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–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, 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, 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, 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. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded from Al Wakra and Salwa.

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, 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, 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. 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. 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: 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 : 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. 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, 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, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant in sandy runnels in SW Qatar. Uses: Grazed by camels (Mandaville) and used for fodder (El Amin).

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, 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, 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: 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. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Sandy and gravelly soils in C Qatar.

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: 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, 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 : 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, 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: 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: 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. 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, 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: 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 : 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. 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. Feb–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny in Al Wabrah. Regarded mainly as a naturalised weed in Arabia. Uses: Various medicinal uses are reported by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.

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, 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 : 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, 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 : 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, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to abundant on saline ground, including cultivated areas and coastal sand. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly report it to be used as a diuretic.

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, 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, Herb, Yellow and Purple

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Not confirmed for Qatar. Not in other Gulf areas. Notes: Miller & Cope note that it is recorded from Qatar by Batanouny (1981) and the UAE by Western. However, they remark that no verified material has been seen and the occurence of the species in Arabia needs confirmation. […]

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, 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, 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, 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, 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: 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: 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 : 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: 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin in N Qatar.

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, 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. 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 : 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. 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 herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from silty depressions. Uses: ‘It is grazed by animals and the leaves are eaten by man as salad or cooked in stews’ (El Amin).

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. 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, 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: 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 : 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 : 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 : 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 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. 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, 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, Shrub

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent on rocky substrates with shallow sand, or in silty and sandy depressions. Uses: Several authors note that the Flowering heads were formerly used by the bedouin for stuffing saddles, pillows and cushions. Used […]

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 : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Only a single plant was found during a survey of western Qatar in 2007 (John Norton and S. Aspinall). Batanouny recorded it as ‘fairly common especially in sandy habitats in S Qatar’.

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, 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, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy areas in C Qatar including Dukhan area and Al Wakra. Uses: Jongbloed et al. state that the generic name comes from the belief that ‘animals feeding on these species would produce more milk’.

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, 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.