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
Acanthaceae | Blepharis ciliaris (L.) B.L. Burtt. | |
Aizoaceae | Aizoon canariense L. | |
Apiaceae | Anisosciadium lanatum Boiss. | |
Apiaceae | Ducrosia anethifolia (DC.) Boiss. | |
Apocynaceae | Rhazya stricta Decne | |
Asclepiadaceae | Pergularia tomentosa L. | |
Asphodelaceae | Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. | |
Asteraceae | Achillea fragrantissima (Forssk.)Sch.-Bip. | |
Asteraceae | Anthemis deserti Boiss. | |
Asteraceae | Anvillea garcinii (Burm.f.)DC. | |
Asteraceae | Artemisia sieberi Besser | |
Asteraceae | Asteriscus heirochunticus (Michon) Wik. | |
Asteraceae | Atractylis arabica Rech.f. | |
Asteraceae | Carthamus oxycantha M.B. | |
Asteraceae | Centaurea bruguierana (DC.) Hand.-Mazz. | |
Asteraceae | Echinops spinosissimus Turra | |
Asteraceae | Filago desertorum Pomel | |
Asteraceae | Ifloga spicata (Forssk.) Sch.-Bip. | |
Asteraceae | Koelpinia linearis Pall. | |
Asteraceae | Launaea angustifolia (Desf.) O. Kuntze | |
Asteraceae | Launaea capitata (Spreng.) Dandy | |
Asteraceae | Launaea mucronata (Forssk. Muschl. | |
Asteraceae | Picris babylonica Hand.-Mazz. | |
Asteraceae | Pulicaria crispa (Forssk.) Benth. | |
Asteraceae | Reichardia tingitana(L.) Roth. | |
Asteraceae | Rhanterium epapposum Oliv. | |
Asteraceae | Scorzonera musillii Vel. | |
Asteraceae | Senecio glaucus L. | |
Asteraceae | Sonchus oleraceus L. | |
Asteraceae | Tripleurospermum auriculatum(Boiss.) Rech.f. | |
Asteraceae | Volutaria lippii (L.)Cass. | |
Asteraceae | Zoegea purpurea Fresen. | |
Boraginaceae | Arnebia hispidissima (Lehm.) DC. | |
Boraginaceae | Echium arabicum R.Mill. | |
Boraginaceae | Gastrocotyle hispida (Forssk.) Bge. | |
Boraginaceae | Heliotropium bacciferum Forssk. | |
Brassicaceae | Alyssum homolocarpum (Fisch.& Mayer) Boiss. | |
Brassicaceae | Diplotaxis harra (Forssk.) Boiss. | |
Brassicaceae | Farsetia aegyptia Turra | |
Brassicaceae | Lepidium aucheri Boiss. | |
Brassicaceae | Moricandia sinaica (Boiss.) Boiss. | |
Brassicaceae | Notoceras bicorne (Aiton) Amo | |
Brassicaceae | Savignya parviflora (Del.) Webb. | |
Brassicaceae | Sisymbrium erysimoides Desf. | |
Brassicaceae | Zilla spinosa Prantl | |
Capparaceae | Capparis cartilaginea Decne. | |
Capparaceae | Cleome amblyocarpa Barrate & Murb. | |
Capparaceae | Cleome rupicola Vicary | |
Caryophyllaceae | Gymnocarpos decandrum Forssk. | |
Caryophyllaceae | Gypsophila capillaris (Forssk.) C.Chr. | |
Caryophyllaceae | Herniaria hirsuta L. | |
Caryophyllaceae | Paronychia arabica (L.) DC. | |
Caryophyllaceae | Polycarpaea repens (Forssk.) Asch. & Sch. | |
Caryophyllaceae | Sclercephalus arabicus Boiss. | |
Caryophyllaceae | Silene arabica Boiss. | |
Caryophyllaceae | Silene linearis Decne. | |
Chenopodiaceae | Bassia eriophora (Schrad.) Aschers | |
Chenopodiaceae | Halothamnus iraqensis Botsch. | |
Chenopodiaceae | Salsola sp. | |
Cistaceae | Helianthemum lippii (L.) Dum.-Cours | |
Convolvulaceae | Convolvulus oxyphyllus ssp. oxycladus Rech.f. | |
Convolvulaceae | Convolvulus pilosellifolius Desr. | |
Cucurbitaceae | Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. | |
Cucurbitaceae | Cucumis prophetarum L. | |
Cuscutaceae | Cuscuta campestris Yncker | |
Dipsacaceae | Scabiosa oliveri Coult. | |
Ephedraceae | Ephedra foliata Boiss. | |
Euphorbiaceae | Chrozophora oblongifoia (Del.) A. Juss. | |
Euphorbiaceae | Euphorbia granulata Forssk. | |
Euphorbiaceae | Euphorbia retusa Forssk. | |
Geraniaceae | Erodium laciniatum (Cav.) Willd. | |
Lamiaceae | Salvia aegyptiaca L. | |
Lamiaceae | Salvia spinosa L. | |
Lamiaceae | Teucrium oliverianum Ging. | |
Lamiaceae | Teucrium polium L. | |
Malvaceae | Althaea ludwigii L. | |
Malvaceae | Malva parviflora L. | |
Mimosaceae | Acacia ehrenbergiana Hayne | |
Mimosaceae | Acacia gerrardii Benth. ssp. gerrardii Chaudh. | |
Mimosaceae | Acacia raddiana Savi | |
Moraceae | Ficus cordata ssp. salicifolia (Vahl.) Berg. | |
Papilionaceae | Astragalus corrugatus Bertol. | |
Papilionaceae | Astragalus sieberi DC. | |
Papilionaceae | Astragalus spinosa (Forssk.) Muschl | |
Papilionaceae | Medicago laciniata (L.) Mill. | |
Papilionaceae | Trigonella anguina Del. | |
Papilionaceae | Trigonella hamosa L. | |
Papilionaceae | Trigonella stellata Forssk. | |
Plantaginaceae | Plantago amplexicaulis Cav. | |
Plantaginaceae | Pantago boissieri Hausskn. et Bornm. | |
Plantaginaceae | Plantago ciliata Desf. | |
Plantaginaceae | Plantago ovata Forssk. | |
Poaceae | Avena fatua L. | |
Poaceae | Bromus pulchellus Fig & De Not | |
Poaceae | Cenchrus ciliaris L. | |
Poaceae | Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. | |
Poaceae | Enneapogon desvauxii P. Beauv. | |
Poaceae | Eragrostis barrelieri Dav. | |
Poaceae | Hordeum murinum L. | |
Poaceae | Hyparrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf. | |
Poaceae | Panicum turgidum Forssk. | |
Poaceae | Pennisetum divisum (Gmel.) Henr. | |
Poaceae | Phalaris minor Retz. | |
Poaceae | Poa annua L. | |
Poaceae | Rostraria cristata (L.) Tzvelev | |
Poaceae | Stipa capensis Thunb. | |
Poaceae | Stipagrostis plumosa (L.) Munro | |
Poaceae | Tetrapogon villosus Desf. | |
Polygonaceae | Emex spinosa (L.) Campd. | |
Polygonaceae | Rumex vesicarius L. | |
Portulacaceae | Portulaca oleracea L. | |
Resedaceae | Caylusea hexagyna (Forssk.) M.L. Green | |
Resedaceae | Ochradenus baccatus Del. | |
Resedaceae | Oligomeris linifolia (Vahl) Macbride | |
Resedaceae | Reseda muricata Presl. | |
Rhamnaceae | Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Willd. | |
Rutaceae | Haplophyllum tuberculatum (Forssk.) A.Juss. | |
Scrophulariaceae | Scrophularia deserti Del. | |
Solanaceae | Lycium shawii Roem. Et Shult. | |
Tamaricaceae | Tamarix aphylla (L.) Karst. | |
Zygophyllaceae | Fagonia bruguieri DC. | |
Zygophyllaceae | Fagonia glutinosa Del. | |
Zygophyllaceae | Fagonia indica Burm.f.. | |
Zygophyllaceae | Tribulus terrestris L. | |
Zygophyllaceae | Zygophyllum propinquum | |
ssp. migahidii (Hadidi) J.Thomas et al. |