Calligonum comosum, the fire bush,[2] arta[citation needed] or abal,[3] is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae.[2]
Calligonum comosum | |
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Flowers | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Polygonaceae |
Genus: | Calligonum |
Species: | C. comosum
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Binomial name | |
Calligonum comosum | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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The plant grows to around 1.2 metres (4 feet) 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][4]
It is native to the Sahara, Socotra, the Arabian Peninsula, and in the Middle East as far east as Pakistan[1] and the Rajasthan desert in western India.[4]
The flowers can be eaten fresh.[3] It is useful as a stabilizer of sand dunes, forage for livestock, smokeless firewood, and an indicator of fresh water.[2]
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