Calligonum comosum

Calligonum comosum
Flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Polygonaceae
Genus:	Calligonum
Species:	C. comosum
Binomial name
Calligonum comosum L'Hér.
Synonyms[1]
Calligonum mejidum Al-Khayat Calligonum mejidum var. thirtharicum Al-Khayat Calligonum polygonoides subsp. comosus (L'Hér.) Soskov Pallasia comosa (L'Hér.) Raeusch.

Calligonum comosum, the fire bush,^[2] arta^{[citation needed]} or abal,^[3] is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae.^[2]

The plant grows to around 1.2 metres (4 feet) tall, with green branches that split off from the main stem like the wisps of a broom. The plant is high in sugar and nitrogen.^[3][4]

It is native to the Sahara, Socotra, the Arabian Peninsula, and in the Middle East as far east as Pakistan^[1] and the Rajasthan desert in western India.^[4]

The flowers can be eaten fresh.^[3] It is useful as a stabilizer of sand dunes, forage for livestock, smokeless firewood, and an indicator of fresh water.^[2]

Fruit maturing

References

1. "Calligonum comosum L'Hér". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
2. Louhaichi, Mounir (29 January 2018). "Managing rangelands: Promoting sustainable native shrub species - Calligonum comosum". hdl:20.500.11766/7727. Retrieved 1 February 2022. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
3. The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants. United States Department of the Army. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. 2009. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-60239-692-0. OCLC 277203364.
4. U.S. Department of the Army (2019). The Official U.S. Army Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-4930-4039-1. OCLC 1043567121.