Reichardia tingitana (L.) Roth
نكد، حواء، مرار
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
Flora of Qatar states that the young leaves are edible and sometimes eaten locally, but no second independent source confirming food use was found, so edibility is recorded as unknown; the leaves are bitter (local name 'murar'). In folk medicine the leaves are used for constipation and colic, so they may have a laxative effect. No poisoning of people or animals is documented. The book rates it as good grazing for livestock.
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Description
An annual herb, 5–40 cm tall, almost hairless, somewhat rough and papillose below. The stem is thick, branched from the base, with prostrate to ascending branches. Leaves are pale green and slightly fleshy, entire to lobed with spiny-toothed margins; the basal leaves taper into a stalk, the stem leaves are sessile and semi-clasping. Flower heads 2–2.5 cm across consist only of ligulate (strap-shaped) florets, lemon-yellow and purplish on the outside, longer than the involucre, whose bracts have broad papery margins. The fruit is a four-angled, rough achene with a soft white pappus that falls as one piece. Flowers from about February to April (January to May in Qatar).
Habitat
Arid deserts and shrub-steppes. Grows well in saline soils and sandy depressions. Found in coastal and inland desert environments.
Distribution
Native from Macaronesia to northern India and Tanzania. Found in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, eastern Saudi Arabia, and North Africa. Introduced and naturalized in Australia and France.
Pastoral value
Grazed by livestock in desert rangelands.
Other uses
In the Middle East the leaves are traditionally used in folk medicine for constipation, colic and inflamed eyes. Flora of Qatar reports the leaves as edible and sometimes eaten locally. It is a minor weed where introduced (Australia, France) and has documented allelopathic activity.
Sources
- الدليل الحقلي المصور للنباتات البرية في سلطنة عُمان (BOOK.pdf p.47)
- Flora of Qatar — Reichardia tingitana — floraofqatar.com
- Wikipedia — Reichardia tingitana — en.wikipedia.org
- GBIF species match — Reichardia tingitana (L.) Roth — api.gbif.org
- GBIF occurrences in Oman — Reichardia tingitana — api.gbif.org
