Ibex Reserve - near Howtha Bani Tamim
Ibex Reserve, a protected area, is situated in the Hilwa village, near Howtha Bani Tamim, about 180 km south of Riyadh City. It extends into a large area (1840 km2), between 23′ 12º and 23′ 35º N, and 46′ 15º and 46′ 50º E. It is a long and narrow wadi bounded on both sides by steep rocky walls, which are ideal for the protection of the Nubian Ibex, hyrax wild cats, mongoose and eagles. The area is part of the mighty Tuwaiq Escarpment seen in the middle, as a back-bone of central Najd Zone. The climate of Ibex protectorate is, generally, tropical, hot or extreme hot in summer, cold in winter. An average 20 mm rain is expected during winter-spring months, between December and April or a few intermittent to heavy rainfall in October-November. Three or possibly four major communities are present in the Ibex Reserve, such as Haloxylon salicornicum community, Acacia tortilis-Rhazya stricta community, Ziziphus nummularia-Acacia tortilis-Lycium shawii community and Rhanterium epapposum-Calotropis procera community, each of them is present in unique habitats or seen as overlapping each other.
Flora is relatively rich. Approximately 265 species in 49 families have been reported, of which Poaceae is the largest family followed by Asteraceae, Cruciferae and Leguminosae
Flora of Ibex Reserve
Pteridophytes
Adiantum capillus-veneris
Cheilanthus pteridioides
Cheilanthus villea
Ophioglossum polyphyllum
Aizoaceae
Aizoon canariense
Gisekia pharnaceoides
Amaranthaceae
Aerva javanica
Apocynaceae
Rhazya stricta
Asclepiadaceae
Calotropis procera
Glossonema varians
Leptadenia pyrotechnica
Pergularia tomentosa
Periploca aphylla
Asphodelaceae
Asphodelus fistulosus
Boraginaceae
Arnebia decumbens
Arnebia linearifolia
Arnebia hispidissima
Echium rawolfii
Gastrocotyle hispida
Heliotropium digynum
Heliotropium ramosissima
Lappula spinocarpus
Ogastemma pusillum
Trichodesma africanum
Capparaceae
Capparais cartilaginea
Caparis spinosa
Capparis spinosa var. mucronifolia
Cleome ablyocarpa
Cleome noeana
Cleome rupicola
Dipterygium glaucum
Maerua crassifolia
Caryophyllaceae
Cometes surattense
Gymnocarpus decandrum
Gypsophila capillaris
Herniaria hirsuta
Paronychia arabica
Polycarpaea repens
Polycarpaea robbairea
Scleocephalus arabicus
Silene arabica
Silene conoidea
Silene villosa
Spergula fallax
Spergularia diandra
spergularia salina
Chenopodiaceae
Bassia eriophora
Bassia muricata
Chenopodium album
Chenopodium murale
Halothamnus bottae
Haloxylon persicum
Haloxylon salicornicum
Salsola imbricata
Salsola lachnantha
Cistaceae
Helianthemum kahiricum
Helianthemum lippii
Helianthemum sessiliflorum
Compositae
Aaronsohnia factorovskyi
Anthemis deserti
Anvillea garcinii
Artemisia monosperma
Artemisia scoparia
Asteriscus pygmaeus
Actractylis carduus
Blumea bovei
Calendula tripterocarpa
Centaurea pseudosinaica
Echinops erinaceus
Filago desertorum
Gymnarrhena micrantha
Heteroderis pusilla
Ifloga spicata
Iphiona scabra
Koelpinia linearis
Lactuca serriola
Launaea capitata
Launaea angustifolia
Phagnalon schweinfurthii
Picris cyanocarpa
Pulicaria glutinosa
Pulicaria incisa
Pulicaria undulata
Reichardia tingitana
Rhanterium epapposum
Scorzonera tortuosissima
Senecio flavus
Senecio glaucus
Sonchus oleraceus
Zoegea purpurea
Convolvulaceae
Convolvulus fatmensis
Convolgulus glomeratus
Convolvulus oxyphyllus ssp. Oxycladus
Cuscuta planiflora
Cruciferae/Brassicaceae
Anastatica hierochuntica
Brassica tournefortii
Diplotaxis acris
Diplotaxis harra
Eremobium aegyptiacum ssp. Lineare
Eruca sativa
Farsetia aegyptia
Farsetia burtonae
Farsetia longisiliqua
Farsetia stylosa
Horwoodia dicksoniae
Lepidium aucheri
Leptaleum filifolium
Matthiola longipetala
Morettia parviflora
Moricandia sinaica
Neotorularia torulosa
Notoceras bicorne
Savignya parviflora
Schouwia purpurea
Sisymbrium erysimoides
Zilla spinosa
Cucurbitaceae
Citrullus colocynthis
Cucumis prophetarum
Cyperaceae
Cyperus bulbosus
Cyperus rotundus
Dipsacaceae
Scabiosa olivieri
Ephedraceae
Ephedra foliata
Euphorbiaceae
Chrozophora oblongifolia
Euphorbia dracunculoides
Euphorbia granulata
Euphorbia grossheimii
Euphorbia retusa
Ricinus communis
Geraniaceae
Erodium neuradifolium
Erodium oxyrrynchumMonsonia nivea
Hyacinthaceae
Dipcadi unicolor
Juncaceae
Juncus rigidus
Labiatae
Lavandula coronopifolia
Salvia aegyptiaca
Salvia deserti
Teucrium polium
Leguminosae
Acacia ehrenbergiana
Acacia oerfota
Acacia raddiana
Acacia tortilis
Argyrolobium arabicum
Astragalus crenatus
Astragalus hauarensis
Astragalus schimperi
Astragalus sieberi
Astragalus tribuloides
Hippocrepis bicontorta
Hippocrepis ciliata
Indigofera articulata
Lotononis platycarpa
Medicago minima
Melilotus indica
Rhynchosia memnonia
Senna italica
Tephrosia purpurea
Trigonella hamosa
Trigonella stellata
Malvaceae
Abutilon fruticosum
Althaea ludwigii
Hibiscus micranthus
Malva parviflora
Menispermaceae
Cocculus pendulus
Moraceae
Ficus palmata
Ficus cordata ssp. Salicifolia
Neuradaceae
Neuradaceae
Nyctaginaceae
Boerhavia elegans
Commicarpus grandiflorus
Orobanchaceae
Cistanche phelypaea
Orobanche aegyptiaca
Orobanche cernua
Palmae
Phoenix dactylifera
Plantaginaceae
Plantago afra
Plantago boissieri
Plantago ciliata
Plantago ovata
Poaceae
Aegilops kotschyi
Aristida adscensionis
Brachypodium distachyon
Bromus fasciculatus
Cenchrus ciliaris
Cenchrus pennisetiformis
Centropodia forsskalii
Chloris virgata
Chrysopogon plumulosus
Cymbopogon commutatus
Cynodon dactylon
Dactyloctenium scidicum
Dichanthium foveolatum
Echinochloa colona
Enneapogon desvauxii
Enneapogon schiperianus
Eragrostis barrelieri
Hyparrhenia hirta
Imperata cylindrica
Lasiurus scindicus
Ochthochloa compressa
Orotetium capense
Panicum turgidum
Pennisetum divisum
Pennisetum setacem
Phalaris minor
Phragmites australis
Rostraria pumila
Schismus arabicus
Sporobolus nervosus
Stipa capensis
Stipagrostis foexiana
Stipagrostis hirtigluma
Stipagrostis obtusa
Stipagrostis plumosa
Stipagrostis raddiana
Tetrapogon villosus
Tragus berteronianus
Tragus racemosus
Tricholaena teneriffae
Tripogon africanus
Tripogon multiflorus
Polygalaceae
Polygala erioptera
Polygala schwartiziana
Polygonaceae
Emex spinosa
Polygonum aviculare
Rumex vesicarius
Primulaceae
Anagallus arvensis var. caerulea
Samolus valerandi
Resedaceae
Caylusea hexagyna
Ochradenus arabicus
Ochradenus baccatus
Oligomeris linifolia
Reseda arabica
Reseda muricata
Rhamnaceae
Ziziphus nummularia
Zizphus spina-christi
Rubiaceae
Callipeltis aperta
Gallium setaceum ssp. decaisnei
Kohautia caespitosa
Pterogaillonia calycoptera
Rutaceae
Haplophyllum tuberculatum
Scrophulariaceae
Anticharis arabica
Anticharis glandulosa
Aptosimum pumilum
Kickxia acerbiana
Misopates orontium
Scrophularia deserti
Solanaceae
Lycium shawii
Tamaricaceae
Tamarix nilotica
Tiliaceae
Corchorus depressus
Grewia erythraea
Grewia mollis
Typhaceae
Typha domingensis
Umbelliferae
Anisosciadium lanatum
Ducrosia anethifolia
Pycnocycla nodiflora
Urticaceae
Forsskoalea tenacissima
Parietaria alsinifolia
Zygophyllaceae
Fagonia bruguieri
Fagonia glutinosa
Fagonia indica
Seetzenia lanata
Tribulus pentandrus
Tribulus terrestris var. inermis
Tribulus terrestris var. robustus
Tetraena propinqua
Tetraena simplex
