Wadi Hanifa - Plant diversity in Saudi Arabia

Plant diversity in Saudi Arabia Wadi Hanifa
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Situated in the western part of the Riyadh city, the Wadi Hanifa and its tributaries form a unique habitat for wild plants. The main wadi is about 120 km long and about 30 km wide. It extends from northwestern highlands of Sodoos village to the open desert in the southeastern part of Najd Plateau and covers a drainage run-off area of more than 4000 km². The wadi passes through small villages, palm groves and farms. For several decades wadi bed has been the seat of main agriculture farms. A 60 km long man-made drainage canal runs along the wadi bed and reach south of Al-Hair, carrying both rain water and treated sewage water. Groundwater is drained from the City suburbs and discharged into this surface flow channel. Continuous flow of water through the water channel allows the growth of algae and several aquatic plants.
			Till few years back this stream support a highly favourable habitat for several wild plants, mainly dominated by monospecific stands of Phragmites australis. Other dominant species in the area was Tamarix senegalensis, Xanthium strumarium, Typha domingensis and several other semi aquatic plants such as Eclipta prostrata, Bacopa monnieri, Phyla nodiflora, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Leptochloa fusca, Cyperus spp. etc. Although seasonal, at least few aquatic plants were also found in the stream, such as Lemna perpusilla and Potamogeton pectinatus, P. perfoliatus, etc. The sedimentary rocky cliffs and slopes of Jabal Tuwayq bordering along the northern parts of Wadi Hanifa also support a number of annuals and perennials.Capparis cartilaginea dominate along the cliffs while species such as Periploca aphylla, Pulicaria glutinosa, Gymnocarpos decander, Pulicaria undulata, Helianthemum lippii, etc. dominate the slopes.

However, the current scenario of Wadi Hanifa is such that, majority of the stretch, especially in areas where the man-made stream flows, the area is converted into a large recreational facility by removing the natural vegetation along its banks and foothills. The floristic list presented here is based on earlier plant records, specimens mostly collected between 1980-2007.
Flora of Wadi Hanifa Acanthaceae Blepharis ciliaris Aizoaceae Aizoon canariense Aizoon hispanicum Gisekia pharnaceoides Sesuvium verrucosum Zaleya pentandra Amaranthaceae Aerva javanica Amaranthus graecizans Amaranthus viridis Apocynaceae Rhazya stricta Asclepiadaceae Calotropis procera Glossonema varians Leptadenia pyrotechnica Moltkiopsis ciliata Periploca aphylla Pergularia tomentosa Boraginaceae Arnebia hispidissima Gastrocotyle hispida Heliotropium bacciferum Heliotropium digynum Heliotropium ramosissimum Trichodesma africanum Capparaceae Capparis cartilaginea Capparis spinosa Cleome amblyocarpa Cleome rupicola Dipterygium glaucum Schouwia thebaica Maerua crassifolia Caryophyllaceae Gymnocarpos decander Herniaria hirsuta Paronychia arabica Polycarpaea repens Sclerocephalus arabicus Silene arabica Spergularia diandra Spergula fallax Ceratophyllaceae Ceratophyllum demersum Ceratophyllum submersum Cistaceae Helianthemum kahiricum Helianthemum lippii Chenopodiaceae Atriplex leucoclada Bassia eriophora Bassia muricata Chenopodium ambrosioides Chenopodium murale Cornulaca monocantha Salsola imbricata Salsola lachnantha Halothamnus bottae Convolvulaceae Convolvulus arvensis Convolvulus austro-aegyptiacus Convolvulus buschiricus Convolvulus pilosellifolius Convolvulus oxyphyllus ssp. oxycladus Ipomoea aquatica Compositae Achillea fragrantissima Anthemis deserti Anthemis melampodina Anvillea garcinii Artemisia judaica Artemisia monosperma Artemisia seiberi Calendula arvensis Calendula tripterocarpa Carduus pycnocephalus Echinops Eclipta prostrata Ifloga spicata Filago desertorum Launaea capitata Launaea mucronata Launaea pilosellifolius Pulicaria glutinosa Pulicaria jaubertii Pulicaria undulata Reichardia tingitana Rhanterium epapposum Scorzonera intricata Scorzonera musillii Senecio glaucus Sonchus oleraceus Urospermum picroides Xanthium strumarium Zoegea purpurea Cruciferae Coronopus didymus Diplotaxis harra Diplotaxis acris Diplotaxis erucoides Eremobium aegyptiacum ssp. lineare Farsetia aegyptiaca Farsetia burtonae Farsetia depressa Farsetia longisiliqua Horwoodia dicksoniae Morettia canescens Moricandia sinaica Savignya parviflora Schimpera arabica Sisymbrium irio Zilla spinosa Cucurbitaceae Citrullus colocynthis Cucumis prophetarum Cyperaceae Cyperus conglomeratus Cyperus rotundus Euphorbiaceae Andrachne telephoides Chrozophora oblongifolia Euphorbia granulata Euphorbia retusa Ricinus communis Fumariaceae Fumaria parviflora Geraniaceae Erodium laciniatum Erodium pulverulentum Monosonia nivea Gramineae Aeluropus lagopoides Aristida adscensionis Aristida funiculata Brachypodium distachyum Cenchrus ciliaris Cenchrus echinatus Centaurea bruguierana Chrysopogon plumulosus Cutandia memphitica Cynodon dactylon Enneapogon desvauxii Eragrostis barrelieri Hyparrhenia hirta Lasiurus scindicus Leptochloa fusca Panicum turgidum Pennisetum divisum Phalaris minor Schismus barbatus Stipa capensis Stipagrostis plumosa Tetrapogon villosus			Labiatae Salvia aegyptiaca Salvia deserti Salvia spinosa Teuciurm oliverianum Teucrium polium Leguminosae Acacia ehrenbergiana Acacia gerrardii Acacia raddiana Acacia tortilis Alhagi graecorum Astragalus corrugatus Astragalus seiberi Astragalus spinosa Hippocrepis constricta Indigofera spinosa Medicago laciniata Prosopis fracta Prosopis koelziana Prosopis juliflora Schismus barbatus Senna italica Tephrosia purpurea ssp. apollinea Trigonella anguina Trigonella hamosa Trigonella stellata Lemnaceae Lemna perpusilla Liliaceae Asphodelus tenuifolius Malvaceae Althaea ludwigii Hibiscus micranthus Malva parviflora Menispermaceae Cocculus pendulus Molluginaceae Gisekia pharnaceoides Moraceae Ficus cordata ssp. salicifolia Menispermaceae Cocculus pendulus Neuradaceae Neurada procumbens Palamae Phoenix dactylifera Papaveraceae Hepecoum pendulum Plantaginaceae Plantago amplexicaulus Plantago boissieri Plantago ovata Plantago ciliata Polygonaceae Calligonum comosum Emex spinosa Polygonum argyrocoleum Rumex vesicarius Potamogetonaceae Potagogeton pectinatus Potamogeton perfoliatus Primulaceae Anagalis arvensis Rhamnaceae Ziziphus spina-christi Resedaceae Caylusea hexagyna Ochradenus arabicus Ochradenus baccatus Oligomeris linifolia Reseda muricata Rubiaceae Pterogaillonia calycoptera Rutaceae Haplophyllum tuberculatum Scrophulariaceae Bacopa monnieri Scrophularia deserti Solanaceae Datura innoxia Lycium shawii Solanum nigrum Solanum villosum Withania somnifera Tamaricaceae Tamarix aphylla Tamarix senegalensis Typhaceae Typha domingensis Umbelliferae Anisosciadiium lanatum Ducrosia anethifolia Pituranthos triradiatus Urticaceae Forsskaolea tenacissima Urtica urens Verbenaceae Phyla nodiflora Zygophyllaceae Fagonia bruguieri Fagonia glutinosa Fagonia indica Peganum harmala Tribulus pentandrus Tribulus terrestris Zygophyllum coccineum Zygophyllum propinquum ssp. migahidii Zygophyllum simplex Present habitat along the Wadi Hanifa stream
Page written and maintained by Dr. Jacob Thomas, Dept. of Botany & Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh.