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Woody and spiny branched shrub that grows in gravel plains, wadis, foothills, and saline habitats
Scientific Name: Lycium shawii
Common Name: Arabian Boxthorn
Dimensions: As a shrub the plant reaches a maximum height of about 250 cm, as a tree it grows up to 450 cm and the leaves are 4-25 mm long and 2-6 mm wide
Medium: model
Registration Number: RPN.2018.0071
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Arabian exthorn is a woody and spiny branched shrub, sometimes growing as a small tree. Its shoots are covered in white tomentose (fine, matted hairs), and the spines, which are tomentose at the base, grow along and at the tips of the branches. The leaves range from herbaceous to fleshy and have an elliptic-oblong to acute shape. They are covered in tomentose hairs as well. The bisexual flowers grow in the axils of the leaves, either singly or in pairs. These flowers can be white to purple in color, with a tubular corolla and acute lobes. The color of the corolla changes from pale lilac to whitish as they wither. The flowers are composed of five fused petals, five unequal stamens with yellow pollen, and a single white style with a green stigma. The plant produces globose or oblong berries that are deep orange in color, containing reniform (kidney-shaped) seeds.
Habitat and Biology
This species, the Arabian exthorn, thrives in various habitats such as gravel plains, wadis, foothills, and even saline environments. It's commonly found in close proximity to Acacia tortilis and Prosopis cineraria. The leaves and/or berries of the Arabian exthorn serve as a food source for desert rodents, insects, and birds.
ECO System Qatar
Rawda, which means garden, are pockets of green in the desert. They form in depressions in the desert surface. Fine soils blown by the wind are gradually deposited and compacted in the depressions, allowing plants to grow in it. These soils hold water far better than the rocky or sandy surroundings. Rawda are known as sweet soil areas, as they are so fertile. Many different plants and animals thrive in these hospitable conditions. People use them for farming and date plantations.
PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH
Abdel Bary, Ekhlas M. M. (2012). The Flora of Qatar. 2 volumes (700 pages, 199 pages) : color illustrations, maps ; 28 cm. Doha: Qatar University Environmental Studies Center. OCLC: 875112803. MMS ID: 991000252609706691. English. Volume 1: The Dicotyledons -- Volume 2: The Monocotyledons
UNESCO Office in Doha. (n.d.). An Illustrated Checklist of the Flora of Qatar. Authors: John Norton, Sara Abdul Majid, Debbie Allan, Mohammed Al Safran, Benno Böer, & Renee Richer. [Unpublished manuscript]. Richer, R., Knees, S., Norton, J., & Sergeev, A. (2022). Hidden Beauty: An Exploration of Qatar’s Native and Naturalised Flora. Hardcover. April 30, 2022.
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Gallery 2