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 fuscaCyperus 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