Ebenus stellata Boiss.
جردان، الكلبان، كميل، العكمل
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 information on edibility or toxicity for people was found; no food use is documented. The field guide says it is grazed well by livestock; no other source on its forage value or on any hazard to animals was found. The leaf stalks, leaflets and bracts end in sharp spines.
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Description
A small spiny shrub 30-75 cm tall (other sources give 25-40 cm), all parts grey and silky-hairy. Leaves usually have 3 leaflets (rarely 5 or 1) arranged palmately on a spine-tipped rachis 2.5-5 cm long; leaflets are linear or lanceolate, entire, spine-tipped, 1.5-2.5 cm long. Flowers are stalkless, in rounded heads on axillary stalks 3-8 cm long, surrounded by spine-tipped bracts; the calyx is densely silky with teeth longer than the tube. The field guide describes the standard petal as orange with red lines and the wings as yellow-orange, while another source describes the flowers as purple. The pod is flat, oblong, membranous, one-seeded and enclosed in the calyx. Flowers April-May.
Habitat
Rocky slopes and dry stony ground.
Distribution
Native to Oman, Iran to India (Punjab).
Pastoral value
Grazed well by livestock.
Other uses
Limited documented uses. Suitable for sustainable gardens adapted to dry climates.
Sources
- الدليل الحقلي المصور للنباتات البرية في سلطنة عُمان (BOOK.pdf p.111)
- Plants of the World Online - Ebenus stellata Boiss. — powo.science.kew.org
- Rock Garden Plants database (kadel.cz) - Ebenus stellata — flora.kadel.cz
- Botanical Survey of India chromosome database - Ebenus stellata — bsi.gov.in Database/Species data/Angiosperms/Ebenus stellata.pdf
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh herbarium - Ebenus stellata specimen from Iran — data.rbge.org.uk
From the same family
All in this family
Fabaceae
Salam tree, Desert acacia
Acacia ehrenbergiana Hayne.
Fabaceae
Red thorn, Grey-haired acacia, Talh
Acacia gerrardii Benth.
Fabaceae
Gum arabic tree, Babul, Thorn mimosa, Egyptian acacia, Thorny acacia
Acacia nilotica (L.) Del.
Fabaceae
Gum acacia, Gum arabic tree, Sudan gum
Acacia senegal (L.) Willd.