The Arabian Desert is home to diverse plant life.
To many the word desert is synonymous with barren and desolate; an assessment that couldn't be further from the truth. From the migratory Bedouin people to a slew of birds, reptiles and small mammals, the Saudi Arabia's desert is very much alive. Plants are no exception to this rule; they exist in great numbers and great diversity.
Acacia
Acacia trees grow throughout Saudia Arabia's desert.
There are over 1,200 species of acacia trees, a dozen of which, according to botanist Dr. Jacob Thomas of King Saud University, grow in Saudi Arabia's desert. Acacias, the most prevalent tree throughout the Arabian Peninsula, belong to the family of leguminous plants, of which other common members are peanuts and Baobab trees. The acacia tree is referenced throughout the New and Old Testaments, in association with the Arc of the Covenant and King Solomon's architect Hiram, and has a strong history of symbolism in the Middle East.
Picris cyanocarpa
Identified as a weed by Dr. Jacob Thomas of King Saud University, the Picris cyanocarpa is a common plant in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. The annual herb is most prevalent in eastern Saudi Arabia, and flowers a vibrant yellow, making it easy to spot against the endless browns of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's desert. Picris cyanocarpa grows in sandy or silty soils, and has been known to form large patches of floral carpet in flat desert areas like Saudi Arabia's Dibdibah gravel plains.
Desert Hyacinth
The desert hyacinth is a bright yellow parasite. Unable to produce chloroform, the plant has not a stitch of green on it. The seeds of the desert hyacinth can lay dormant for years, waiting for a halophyte plant to grow nearby. A halophyte is a plant with high-salt content in its roots, making it perfectly suited for drawing water from the heavily salted Saudi desert floor. The hyacinth germinates essentially on top of the halophyte, leeching from its water supply for survival.
Calligonum Crinitum
The calligonum crinitum is a dune-dwelling shrub. The plant is prominent throughout he Arabian Desert. The gray-white bush is tall and thin. Its branches have a strong propensity to zig-zag across one another in their growth trajectory, and are often swollen and knotted at the nodes. The plant is known to natives of the Arabian Peninsula as the 'abal bush, and flowers a bright scarlet each spring. Migratory Bedouin use the 'abal for firewood.
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