Calligonum comosum explained

Calligonum comosum, the fire bush, arta or abal,^[1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae.^[2]

The plant grows to around 1.2abbr=offNaNabbr=off 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]

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

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

Notes and References

1. Book: The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants . . . 2009 . 978-1-60239-692-0 . New York . 15 . en-US . 277203364.
2. Louhaichi . Mounir . Managing rangelands: Promoting sustainable native shrub species - Calligonum comosum . 29 January 2018 . 20.500.11766/7727 . 1 February 2022 .
3. Book: U.S. Department of the Army . The Official U.S. Army Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants . . 2019 . 978-1-4930-4039-1 . Guilford, CT . 7 . 1043567121.
4. 693307-1. Calligonum comosum L'Hér.. 1 February 2022.