Huraymla

The Wadi Huraymala is comparatively a large wadi situated about 100 km from the Riyadh City (240 55`- 250 13` N to 450 56`-460 12` E). The wadi is located at an altitude of about 810 m and surrounded by Tuwayq Mountains of various heights. Since the area is in the middle of several Hillocks, the wadi receives plenty of run off water during rainy seasons. Though the Huraymala wadi is famous for its agriculture farms, it is believed that the area was once   covered by a significant number of annuals and perennials

The main feature of the wadi is the presence of a semi protected area on the southwestern side. Although tree felling is prevented by a Royal decree, controlled grazing and picnicking is allowed within the protected area. There are several wadis present in the study area, of which Abu Khathathah is the main wadi. In addition to Wadi Abu-Khathathah, several other wadis, such as Rumaitha, Al-Yatha and Abu-Khashabah also join the main wadi in the protected area. The wadis, which slope in the southwest to northeast direction, are the main source of runoff water from rains. A Dam is constructed just outside the protected area to collect the rain water flowing through the wadis

Dense vegetation can be observed in the wadis, which is composed mainly of Acacia gerrardii, Lycium shawii and Rhazya stricta. However, the areas outside the wadis are less significant in terms of vegetation. The habitats in these areas are composed of either gravels or stones and the vegetation in these areas is sparse due to the impermeability of water and the impenetrable surface to plant roots. Here the vegetation is largely confined to the periphery of the gravel areas, where fine soil accumulate over a considerable period of time and generate a habitat suitable for certain shallow rooted annual plants. The slopes and top of the hills are also less favourable for plant growth due to exposure to wind and eroded soil. However, in certain areas such as the ‘V’ shaped angles of the hills, a significant number of herbaceous plants have been noticed along with a few shrubby plants like Capparis cartilaginea and Ficus cordata ssp. salicifolia.  Vegetation of the plateaus and top of the hills is dominated by species such as Zygophyllum migahidii, Rhanterium epapposum, Pulicaria crispa, Lycium shawii, Gymnocarpos decandrum, Fagonia bruguieri, Diplotaxis harra, Pennisetum divisum, Stipagrostis plumosa, Pergularia tomentosa, Farsetia aegyptia, Plantago amplexicaulis, Haplophyllum tuberculatum, etc.                                                                 

Species recorded from Huraymala Region

AcanthaceaeBlepharis ciliaris (L.) B.L. Burtt.  
AizoaceaeAizoon canariense L. 
ApiaceaeAnisosciadium lanatum Boiss.
ApiaceaeDucrosia anethifolia (DC.) Boiss.
ApocynaceaeRhazya stricta Decne
AsclepiadaceaePergularia tomentosa L.
AsphodelaceaeAsphodelus tenuifolius Cav.
AsteraceaeAchillea fragrantissima (Forssk.)Sch.-Bip.
AsteraceaeAnthemis deserti Boiss.
AsteraceaeAnvillea garcinii (Burm.f.)DC.
AsteraceaeArtemisia sieberi Besser
AsteraceaeAsteriscus heirochunticus (Michon) Wik.
AsteraceaeAtractylis arabica Rech.f.
AsteraceaeCarthamus oxycantha M.B.
AsteraceaeCentaurea bruguierana (DC.) Hand.-Mazz.  
AsteraceaeEchinops spinosissimus Turra
AsteraceaeFilago desertorum Pomel
AsteraceaeIfloga spicata (Forssk.) Sch.-Bip.
AsteraceaeKoelpinia linearis Pall. 
AsteraceaeLaunaea angustifolia (Desf.) O. Kuntze
AsteraceaeLaunaea capitata (Spreng.) Dandy
AsteraceaeLaunaea mucronata (Forssk. Muschl.
AsteraceaePicris babylonica Hand.-Mazz.
AsteraceaePulicaria crispa (Forssk.) Benth.
AsteraceaeReichardia tingitana(L.) Roth.
AsteraceaeRhanterium epapposum Oliv.
AsteraceaeScorzonera musillii Vel.
AsteraceaeSenecio glaucus L.
AsteraceaeSonchus oleraceus  L.
AsteraceaeTripleurospermum auriculatum(Boiss.) Rech.f.
AsteraceaeVolutaria lippii (L.)Cass. 
AsteraceaeZoegea purpurea Fresen.
BoraginaceaeArnebia hispidissima (Lehm.) DC.
BoraginaceaeEchium arabicum R.Mill.
BoraginaceaeGastrocotyle hispida (Forssk.) Bge.
BoraginaceaeHeliotropium bacciferum Forssk.
BrassicaceaeAlyssum homolocarpum (Fisch.& Mayer) Boiss.
BrassicaceaeDiplotaxis harra (Forssk.) Boiss.
BrassicaceaeFarsetia aegyptia Turra
BrassicaceaeLepidium aucheri Boiss.
BrassicaceaeMoricandia sinaica (Boiss.) Boiss.
BrassicaceaeNotoceras bicorne (Aiton) Amo
BrassicaceaeSavignya parviflora (Del.) Webb.
BrassicaceaeSisymbrium erysimoides Desf.
BrassicaceaeZilla spinosa Prantl
CapparaceaeCapparis cartilaginea Decne.
CapparaceaeCleome amblyocarpa Barrate & Murb.  
CapparaceaeCleome rupicola Vicary   
CaryophyllaceaeGymnocarpos decandrum Forssk.
CaryophyllaceaeGypsophila capillaris (Forssk.) C.Chr. 
CaryophyllaceaeHerniaria hirsuta L.
CaryophyllaceaeParonychia arabica (L.) DC.
CaryophyllaceaePolycarpaea repens (Forssk.) Asch. & Sch.
CaryophyllaceaeSclercephalus arabicus Boiss.
CaryophyllaceaeSilene arabica Boiss.
CaryophyllaceaeSilene linearis Decne.
ChenopodiaceaeBassia eriophora (Schrad.) Aschers
ChenopodiaceaeHalothamnus iraqensis Botsch.
ChenopodiaceaeSalsola sp.
CistaceaeHelianthemum lippii (L.) Dum.-Cours
ConvolvulaceaeConvolvulus oxyphyllus ssp. oxycladus Rech.f.
ConvolvulaceaeConvolvulus pilosellifolius Desr. 
CucurbitaceaeCitrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. 
CucurbitaceaeCucumis prophetarum L.  
CuscutaceaeCuscuta campestris Yncker
DipsacaceaeScabiosa oliveri Coult.
EphedraceaeEphedra foliata Boiss.
EuphorbiaceaeChrozophora oblongifoia (Del.) A. Juss.  
EuphorbiaceaeEuphorbia granulata Forssk.
EuphorbiaceaeEuphorbia retusa Forssk.
GeraniaceaeErodium laciniatum (Cav.) Willd.
LamiaceaeSalvia aegyptiaca L.
LamiaceaeSalvia spinosa L.
LamiaceaeTeucrium oliverianum Ging.
LamiaceaeTeucrium polium L.
MalvaceaeAlthaea ludwigii L.
MalvaceaeMalva parviflora L.
MimosaceaeAcacia ehrenbergiana Hayne   
MimosaceaeAcacia gerrardii Benth. ssp. gerrardii Chaudh. 
MimosaceaeAcacia raddiana Savi 
MoraceaeFicus cordata ssp. salicifolia (Vahl.) Berg.
PapilionaceaeAstragalus corrugatus Bertol.
PapilionaceaeAstragalus sieberi DC.
PapilionaceaeAstragalus spinosa (Forssk.) Muschl
PapilionaceaeMedicago laciniata (L.) Mill.
PapilionaceaeTrigonella anguina Del.
PapilionaceaeTrigonella hamosa L.
PapilionaceaeTrigonella stellata Forssk.
PlantaginaceaePlantago amplexicaulis Cav.
PlantaginaceaePantago boissieri Hausskn. et Bornm.
PlantaginaceaePlantago ciliata Desf.
PlantaginaceaePlantago ovata Forssk.
PoaceaeAvena fatua L. 
PoaceaeBromus pulchellus Fig & De Not  
PoaceaeCenchrus ciliaris L.   
 PoaceaeCynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.    
PoaceaeEnneapogon desvauxii P. Beauv. 
PoaceaeEragrostis barrelieri Dav.
PoaceaeHordeum murinum L.
PoaceaeHyparrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf.
PoaceaePanicum turgidum Forssk.
PoaceaePennisetum divisum (Gmel.) Henr.
PoaceaePhalaris minor Retz.
PoaceaePoa annua L.
PoaceaeRostraria cristata (L.) Tzvelev
PoaceaeStipa capensis Thunb.
PoaceaeStipagrostis plumosa (L.) Munro
PoaceaeTetrapogon villosus Desf.
PolygonaceaeEmex spinosa (L.) Campd.
PolygonaceaeRumex vesicarius L.
PortulacaceaePortulaca oleracea L.
ResedaceaeCaylusea hexagyna (Forssk.) M.L. Green 
ResedaceaeOchradenus baccatus Del.
ResedaceaeOligomeris linifolia (Vahl) Macbride
ResedaceaeReseda muricata Presl. 
RhamnaceaeZiziphus spina-christi (L.) Willd.
RutaceaeHaplophyllum tuberculatum (Forssk.) A.Juss.
ScrophulariaceaeScrophularia deserti Del.
SolanaceaeLycium shawii Roem. Et Shult.
TamaricaceaeTamarix aphylla (L.) Karst.
ZygophyllaceaeFagonia bruguieri DC. 
ZygophyllaceaeFagonia glutinosa Del.
ZygophyllaceaeFagonia indica Burm.f..
ZygophyllaceaeTribulus terrestris L.
ZygophyllaceaeZygophyllum propinquum
     ssp. migahidii (Hadidi) J.Thomas et al.