Diplotaxis harra (Forssk.) Boiss.
خوشيان، خوشان، حره، حاره، خشني، حويرة
For people
- Eaten by people
- Unknown
- Toxic to people
- Unknown
For livestock
- Grazed by livestock
- Good fodder
- Toxic to livestock
- Unknown
Edibility and safety notes
Edibility for people is not reliably established: one paper says the Sicilian subspecies is eaten as a salad, but no record of food use in Arabia was found and reviews of edible Diplotaxis species do not list it. Like other mustard-family plants it contains pungent glucosinolates, and irritation of mucous membranes has been reported, so do not treat it as a wild rocket substitute. Livestock graze it: the field guide rates it good grazing and goats in the Sahara eat it readily.
This guide is a hobby project, not expert advice. Never eat a wild plant, or feed it to animals, on the strength of this page alone. Read the disclaimer
Description
An annual or short-lived perennial herb of the mustard family, sometimes woody at the base, 10-40 cm tall (sources give up to 70 cm), usually with spreading hairs. Stems erect and branched. Leaves simple, lanceolate, toothed or lobed. Flowers yellow, fading to cream with age, in racemes. Fruits are narrow flattened pods up to 4.5 cm long, hanging on thread-like stalks.
Habitat
Grows in arid and semi-arid regions, rocky and sandy soils.
Distribution
Native to North Africa, the Mediterranean region, and the Middle East.
Pastoral value
Grazed by livestock in some regions.
Other uses
The Sicilian subspecies (subsp. crassifolia) is reported to be eaten as a salad plant; no record of food use in Oman was found. In North Africa a decoction of the seeds or leaves is traditionally rubbed on animals to treat scab. An irritant effect on mucous membranes has been noted.
Sources
- الدليل الحقلي المصور للنباتات البرية في سلطنة عُمان (BOOK.pdf p.67)
- Chemical Profile and Healthy Properties of Sicilian Diplotaxis harra subsp. crassifolia (Molecules 2024) — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Diplotaxis Genus: A Promising Source of Compounds with Nutritional and Biological Properties (Molecules 2024) — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Umm Al-Qura University Herbarium / Makkah flora - Diplotaxis harra — mlh.myspecies.info
- CIHEAM Options Mediterraneennes - goat diets on Algerian rangelands (lists Diplotaxis harra) — ressources.ciheam.org
- UAE National Red List - Diplotaxis harra — nationalredlist.org
- Plants of the World Online - Diplotaxis harra subsp. harra — powo.science.kew.org
