Wadi Hanifa
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