Dipterygium glaucum Decne.
صفرية، علقى، علقا، علكة، صفري
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
No reliable record of people eating this plant was found; it is known only as a traditional medicinal plant (mainly for asthma and chest complaints), which does not make it a food. Its safety for people is not established. It is a grazing plant: the field guide rates it good, camels browse it, and Mandaville notes it is of some importance for grazing in remote sandy areas.
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
A much-branched undershrub up to 60 cm tall, glabrous, woody at base with slender terete branches. Leaf blades are oblong or elliptic, up to 15 mm long. Petals are pale yellow fading whitish, often tinged violet. Fruit is 4.5-5 mm including wing with rugose body.
Habitat
Desert shrub thriving in sandy dunes, saline flats, coastal and inland dunes. Tolerant of high temperatures, drought and salinity.
Distribution
Ranges from Djibouti, Eritrea, along the Red Sea coast to Egypt, Arabia, Socotra, and east to Pakistan. Found in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Sudan.
Pastoral value
Good grazing according to the field guide; browsed by camels and of some importance for grazing in remote sandy areas.
Other uses
Used in traditional medicine for asthma, chronic fever, jaundice, ringworm, psoriasis, blood purification and skin infections. Used as anti-asthmatic and trachea-dilating agent.
Sources
- الدليل الحقلي المصور للنباتات البرية في سلطنة عُمان (BOOK.pdf p.66)
- Flora of Qatar - Dipterygium glaucum — floraofqatar.com
- Qatar e-Nature - Dipterygium glaucum (quotes Mandaville on grazing) — enature.qa
- Abu Dhabi Department of Health, Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants of UAE - Dipterygium glaucum — medicinalplants.doh.gov.ae
- Flora of Saudi Arabia checklist - Dipterygium glaucum (Cleomaceae) — floraofksa.myspecies.info
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh herbarium - Dipterygium glaucum specimen (camel browsing note) — data.rbge.org.uk
