Halothamnus bottae
Encyclopedia
Halothamnus bottae is a species of the plant genus Halothamnus
, that is now included into the family Amaranthaceae
, (formerly Chenopodiaceae
).
30–50 cm high, with blueish-green, thorny branches. The leaves are standing off from the branches, they are triangular, and only 0,7-3 (rarely 8) mm long. The flowers are 2,6-3,6 mm long. The winged fruit is 6–9 mm in diameter. The bottom of the fruit tube has large ovate shallow pits alternating with five prominent radial veins (from the navel to the tepals).
The subspecies Halothamnus bottae ssp. niger differs by green twigs soon becoming black, and by dark brown wings of fruit.
, Yemen
, Oman
, United Arab Emirates
).
It grows in in open shrubland and semidesert on dry stony ground, from 0–2000 m above sea level. The subspecies ssp. niger occurs only on southern Arabian peninsula, in hot arid lowlands up to 100 m above sea level (similar plants from eastern Africa belong to Halothamnus somalensis
).
Synonyms
Vernacular names
Halothamnus
Halothamnus is a genus of the former Chenopodiaceae that is now included into the family Amaranthaceae. The scientific name means saltbush, from the Greek ἅλς "salt" and θαμνος "bush"...
, that is now included into the family Amaranthaceae
Amaranthaceae
The flowering plant family Amaranthaceae, the Amaranth family, contains about 176 genera and 2,400 species.- Description :Most of these species are herbs or subshrubs; very few are trees or climbers. Some species are succulent....
, (formerly Chenopodiaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Chenopodiaceae were a family of flowering plants, also called the Goosefoot Family. They are now included within family Amaranthaceae. The vast majority of Chenopods are weeds, and many are salt and drought tolerant. A few food crops also belong to the family: spinach, beets, chard, quinoa, and...
).
Morphology
Halothamnus bottae is a shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
30–50 cm high, with blueish-green, thorny branches. The leaves are standing off from the branches, they are triangular, and only 0,7-3 (rarely 8) mm long. The flowers are 2,6-3,6 mm long. The winged fruit is 6–9 mm in diameter. The bottom of the fruit tube has large ovate shallow pits alternating with five prominent radial veins (from the navel to the tepals).
The subspecies Halothamnus bottae ssp. niger differs by green twigs soon becoming black, and by dark brown wings of fruit.
Distribution
Halothamnus bottae is endemic on the Arabian peninsula (Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
).
It grows in in open shrubland and semidesert on dry stony ground, from 0–2000 m above sea level. The subspecies ssp. niger occurs only on southern Arabian peninsula, in hot arid lowlands up to 100 m above sea level (similar plants from eastern Africa belong to Halothamnus somalensis
Halothamnus somalensis
Halothamnus somalensis is a species of the plant genus Halothamnus, that is now included into the family Amaranthaceae, .- Morphology :...
).
Taxonomy
Halothamnus bottae Jaub. & Spach, Ill. Pl. Or. 2: 50, tab. 136, 1845.Synonyms
- Caroxylon bottae (Jaub. & Spach) Moq.
- Salsola bottae (Jaub. & Spach) Boiss.
Vernacular names
- Saudi-Arabia: HAMD AL-ARNAB, TIHYAN
- Oman, Jibbali and Dhofari: HAMDEH, KIZZOT
- Yemen: ASAL , TANET