| Tetraena qatarensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Zygophyllales |
| Family: | Zygophyllaceae |
| Genus: | Tetraena |
| Species: | T. qatarensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Tetraena qatarensis (Hadidi) Beier & Thulin [1] | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Tetraena qatarensis is a salt-tolerant dwarf shrub that grows in the Arabian Peninsula. It has small compact leaves that store water. The leaflets grow in pairs and the flowers have four or five petals.
Tetraena qatarensis is a dwarf shrub with multiple stems. It has tiny, fleshy leaves with paired leaflets which are deciduous, dropping off in stressful conditions. The flowers usually have five white or yellow petals (sometimes four), ten projecting stamens and a minute style. The fruits are capsules, splitting into five parts when ripe. [2] [3]
Tetraena qatarensis is native to the Arabian Peninsula and occurs around the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It typically grows in coarse, stony or sandy soils at the edge of saltflats, around salt marshes, and in the sand that accumulates on the base of depressions. It also grows in non-salty locations, on calcareous soils and around the fringes of dune areas, and often dominates plant communities in these locations. [4] On well-drained sandy soil on coastal plains, T. qatarensis may cover 75% of the ground surface, and this plant community is probably the most commonly encountered around the western side of the Persian Gulf. [5]
Tetraena qatarensis grows in arid conditions and is both drought and salt tolerant. In the Persian Gulf area the summer is very hot, any ground moisture present evaporates and the soil becomes increasingly salty. Under these conditions, the leaves dry up and fall off the plant, and it can survive in a leafless state for several years. When significant rain falls in winter, the soil becomes less salty and the plant is stimulated into new growth. [2] The leaf structure and physiology also change with the season, with unifoliate xeromorphic leaves better able to withstand water loss being present during the summer. [6] The seeds have tough coats and germination only occurs after significant rainfall. [2] The plants are found growing in association with several species of soil microfungi, regularly with Cladosporium sphaerospermum , but also sometimes with Penicillium citrinum and Aspergillus fumigatus . [7]
Zygophyllaceae is a family of flowering plants that contains the bean-caper and caltrop. The family includes around 285 species in 22 genera.
The Eastern Desert is the part of the Sahara desert that is located east of the Nile river. It spans 223,000 square kilometres (86,000 sq mi) of northeastern Africa and is bordered by the Nile river to the west and the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez to the east. It extends through Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan and Ethiopia. The Eastern Desert consists of a mountain range which runs parallel to the coast, wide sedimentary plateaus extending from either side of the mountains and the Red Sea coast. The rainfall, climate, vegetation and animal life sustained in the desert varies between these different regions. The Eastern Desert has been a mining site for building materials, as well as precious and semi-precious metals, throughout history. It has historically contained many trade routes leading to and from the Red Sea, including the Suez Canal.
Zygophyllum is the type genus of the flowering plant family Zygophyllaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek words ζυγόν (zygon), meaning "double", and φυλλον (phyllon), meaning "leaf". It refers to the leaves, each of which have two leaflets.
Salicornia quinqueflora, synonym Sarcocornia quinqueflora, commonly known as beaded samphire, bead weed, beaded glasswort or glasswort, is a species of succulent halophytic coastal shrub. It occurs in wetter coastal areas of Australia and New Zealand.
A xerophyte is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water. Examples of xerophytes include cacti, pineapple and some gymnosperm plants. The morphology and physiology of xerophytes are adapted to conserve water during dry periods. Some species called resurrection plants can survive long periods of extreme dryness or desiccation of their tissues, during which their metabolic activity may effectively shut down. Plants with such morphological and physiological adaptations are said to be xeromorphic. Xerophytes such as cacti are capable of withstanding extended periods of dry conditions as they have deep-spreading roots and capacity to store water. Their waxy, thorny leaves prevent loss of moisture.
Nitraria retusa, commonly known as Nitre bush, is a salt-tolerant and drought-resistant shrub in the family Nitrariaceae. It can grow to heights of 2.5 metres, although it seldom exceeds more than 1 m in height. It produces small white/green coloured flowers and small edible red fruit. The plant is native to desert areas of northern Africa, where it grows in primary succession on barren sand dunes, and in areas with high salinities such as salt marshes.
Tamarix ramosissima, commonly known as saltcedarsalt cedar, or tamarisk, is a deciduous arching shrub with reddish stems, feathery, pale green foliage, and characteristic small pink flowers.
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Limoniastrum monopetalum, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plumbaginaceae that is native to between Europe, Northern Africa and Western Asia. It has been found in salt marshes, dunes and other coastal areas with high salinity levels. It has silver-grey or light green leaves on multi branching stems. At the ends of the stems are the summer blooming flowers, in shades of pink, purple, lavender and violet. It is known to be salt and drought tolerant, as well as having the ability to withstand some forms of soil pollution.
Tetraena alba is a species of plant in the family Zygophyllaceae which is found in arid regions of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It is a salt tolerant plant and dominates many of the plant communities in which it grows.
Aeluropus lagopoides, sometimes called mangrove grass or rabbit-foot aeluropus, is a species of Eurasian and African plant in the grass family, found primarily in salty soils and waste places.
Tetraena is a genus of flowering plants in the family Zygophyllaceae.
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Argyrolobium uniflorum is a wild pluriannual herbaceous species of drought tolerant legume found in arid regions of Northern Africa sometimes described as pseudo-savannah. A. uniflorum is a hardy wild species of plant and it is considered a valuable forage crop for agriculture in Africa. It is also useful as a potentially important species in bioremediation and dryland restoration in arid regions of Tusinia which are sensitive to misappropriation and overgrazing.