Calligonum comosum

Last updated

Calligonum comosum
Calligonum comosum flower 1.jpg
Flowers
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Calligonum
Species:
C. comosum
Binomial name
Calligonum comosum
Synonyms [1]
  • Calligonum mejidumAl-Khayat
  • Calligonum mejidum var. thirtharicumAl-Khayat
  • Calligonum polygonoides subsp. comosus(L'Hér.) Soskov
  • Pallasia comosa(L'Hér.) Raeusch.

Calligonum comosum, the fire bush, [2] arta[ citation needed ] or abal, [3] is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae. [2]

The plant grows to around 1.2 metres (4 feet) tall, with green branches that split off from the main stem like the wisps of a broom. The plant is high in sugar and nitrogen. [3] [4]

It is native to the Sahara, Socotra, the Arabian Peninsula, and in the Middle East as far east as Pakistan [1] and the Rajasthan desert in western India. [4]

The flowers can be eaten fresh. [3] It is useful as a stabilizer of sand dunes, forage for livestock, smokeless firewood, and an indicator of fresh water. [2]

Fruit maturing Calligonum comosum flower and fruits 1.jpg
Fruit maturing

References

  1. 1 2 "Calligonum comosum L'Hér". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Louhaichi, Mounir (29 January 2018). "Managing rangelands: Promoting sustainable native shrub species - Calligonum comosum". hdl:20.500.11766/7727 . Retrieved 1 February 2022.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. 1 2 3 The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants. United States Department of the Army. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. 2009. p. 15. ISBN   978-1-60239-692-0. OCLC   277203364.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. 1 2 U.S. Department of the Army (2019). The Official U.S. Army Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press. p. 7. ISBN   978-1-4930-4039-1. OCLC   1043567121.