Halothamnus bottae is a shrub 30–50 cm high, with blueish-green, thorny branches. The leaves are standing off from the branches, they are triangular, and only 0,7-3 (rarely 8) mm long. The flowers are 2,6-3,6 mm long. The winged fruit is 6–9 mm in diameter. The bottom of the fruit tube has large ovate shallow pits alternating with five prominent radial veins (from the navel to the tepals).[1]
The subspecies H. bottae subsp. niger differs by green twigs soon becoming black, and by dark brown wings of fruit.[1]
fruit (lateral view)
fruits (bottom) of subsp. niger (left) and subsp. bottae (right)
Taxonomy
Illustration of Halothamnus bottae from the original description by Jaubert & Spach, 1845
Halothamnus bottae is endemic on the Arabian peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates).
It grows in open shrubland and semidesert on dry stony ground, from 0–2000 m above sea level. The subspecies H. bottae subsp. niger occurs only on southern Arabian peninsula, in hot arid lowlands up to 100 m above sea level (similar plants from eastern Africa belong to Halothamnus somalensis).[2]
Uses
In Oman, the dried parts of Halothamnus bottae are used as snuff.[3]
Vernacular names
In Saudi Arabia, it is known as "hamḑ al-arnab" and "tiḩyan".[4] In Oman, Jibbali and Dhofari, commons names are "hamdeh" and "kizzot".[5] In Yemen, it is called "asal"[6] and "tanēt".[7]
