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Wandering through Wadis
A nature-lover’s guide to the flora of South Sinai
Bernadette Simpson
Dahab, South Sinai, Egypt
This PDF is a sample, containing 10 entries in the directory of
plants, given for free as a preview to the complete publication.
To learn more visit www.bernadettesimpson.com
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Copyright © 2013 by Bernadette Simpson
Wandering through Wadis: A nature-lover’s guide to the flora of South Sinai
Published by NimNam Books ~ February 2013
ISBN 13 (PDF): 978-0-9859718-1-6
ISBN 13 (Paperback): 978-0-9859718-2-3
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the
written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.
Contact the author at: [email protected]
Table of Contents
Author’s Note......................................................... 7
Introduction
Sinai ~ The Land and Flora ...........….…........... 8
Sinai ~ The People ………………………….…11
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Directory of South Sinai Plants............................. 13
The directory contains 104 different entries - 63 at the species level
and 41 at the genus level. The plants are arranged alphabetically,
by their scientific (Latin) name. For each entry, common English
and Arabic names are provided, as well as a description, and lists
of similar species and practical uses.
Glossary..............................................................…125
Index of Plants in Directory.................................. 126
List of Plants by Region........................................ 127
Working List of Other Plant Species in Sinai...….128
References.............................................................131
About the Author/Acknowledgements…………133
Author’s Note
“If you want to learn about something, write a book about it.”
I am not a botanist; I am a curious nature-lover and amateur photographer,
passionate about the natural and cultural heritage of south Sinai. I moved here
with my husband in 2007 and one of our favourite past-times has been wandering
through the desert wadis. Wandering. It's a type of walking that allows me to claim
no destination, no predetermined path. No one hurrying me along to arrive at a
scheduled appointment. A type of walking that allows me to observe, to
photograph, to wonder. A walk that allows me the freedom to follow a crack in
the mountains because a bright yellow bloom has caught my eye.
After being blessed with winter rains for two consecutive seasons (2009 and 2010),
the wadis of south Sinai went wild with blooms and I wandered hours on end with
my camera in hand and an insatiable desire to capture their fragile beauty with my
lens. In my attempts to identify these desert plants, I began my studies. My learning
journey was long and sometimes frustrating but, in the end, rewarding. The
invaluable information provided in others’ research and guide books, and the
knowledge and experience shared by my dear Bedouin friends and guides,
contributed greatly to my own learning and enabled me in the end to create my
own guidebook of images and information. Not being a botanist means that I deal
with many plants at the genus level, when closer observation and specialized
knowledge is needed to identify individual species. As a curious nature-lover, I am
content with this level of knowledge.
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In addition to this guidebook, I have begun a Wildlife of the Sinai Peninsula mission
on Project Noah.org, an online portal for citizen scientists and nature-lovers to
upload and share images, and identify the flora and fauna they encounter. You will
find many of the plants in this guide as part of this mission. But you will also find
dozens of images of the local desert critters ~ spiders, birds, butterflies, lizards,
dragonflies, snakes, and even a fox. Check it out. And join us!
As this book goes to publication in February 2013, Sinai is again being blessed with
a wet rainy season, promising an abundantly green spring. It is my hope that this
guidebook will help other desert-lovers learn more about Sinai’s rich natural
heritage.
~ Bernadette
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Introduction
Sinai ~ The People
The original inhabitants of the Sinai peninsula were bedouin, traditionally nomadic
pastoralists who journeyed through the desert in search of fresh pasture for their herds
of sheep, goats, and camels. Today, the majority of Bedouin in south Sinai lead a sedentary
lifestyle, staying in one place for most of the year. They live in towns that have developed
over the past 30 years – Ras Sudr, El Tor, Abu Rudeis, Dahab, Nuweiba, as well as various
smaller villages - and many work in the tourism industry as drivers, safari guides, or dive
guides. But many continue to also raise domesticated animals. And most continue to have
a strong, passionate connection to the desert. There are plenty of “settled” Bedouin who,
come springtime, pack their trucks with a tent, blankets, utensils, supplies – and together
with their goats and sheep – head to the mountains where the pasture is best for their
herds. Traditionally, Bedouin are well respected for their knowledge of the desert and its
useful plants, although as their lifestyle changes, so does their knowledge of the local flora.
When asking my Bedouin friends about a plant's name or usage, I was often referred to
the elders and told that the younger generations, sadly, know very little.
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Much of the information about the practical uses of the desert plants in this guide comes
from research conducted by Bailey and Danin (1981). They report that during their 6-year
survey they “encountered no plant that was not useful to the bedouins in one way or
another” (p.145). Plants are an important part of traditional Bedouin culture and provide
nutrition, medicine, or the material needed to build various tools, equipment, and other
useful items. Plants are also used in ceremonies and rites of passages and are commonly
referred to in Bedouin poetry. Over half of the place names in Sinai come from plant names.
There's 'Ain Za'atar, the Spring of Thyme, and Farsh al Rummana, the Place of
Pommegranates, and Abu Hibayig, the Place with Mint, just to name a few. Plant names
have also served as inspiration for the naming of children. And like many cultures, Bedouins
associate life and vitality with the color green. A generous and friendly person may be
referred to by Bedouin as “having a green face” (wijhih akhdhar).
Bailey and Danin also report that every species of desert plant is eaten by at least one of
the animals that Bedouin raise – goats, sheep, camels, or donkeys. Of course, each animal
has preferred plants, but the animals eat every sort of plant. Some plants may make goats
and camels ill, but not donkeys. Other plants are poisonous only at certain stages of growth
but can be eaten when they are young. For example, young henbane (Hyoscyamus sp) can
be ingested with no ill effects, but older plants intoxicate the animals . Donkeys will eat
the poisonous Anabasis syriaca but only after it has dried up. Seasons also determine which
plants the animals eat. If there has been a winter rainy season, December to April are the
best months for pasture. This is when the annuals are in bloom, including many plants in
the daisy and cabbage families. These fresh herbs help the animals produce plenty of milk.
Once the khamseen winds start to blow and the heat wave begins in May, most annual
herbs dry up and the animals begin to eat different straw-like annuals as well as semi-shrubs
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such as wormwoods (Artemisia sp.) and Gymnocarpus decandrus. August to November are
the most difficult months for pasture. Animals feed during this time on Acacia pods and
other shrubs and bushes that they avoid at other times, like Achillea fragrantissima, Atriplex
halimus, and Zygophyllum dumosum. However, without rain and new annuals to eat,
pasturing goats will not get enough nourishment from these plants to lactate. As a result,
many of the kids born in the fall would not survive. For nomadic peoples, this is when they
would pack up and move on in search of pasture elsewhere. The Bedouin who still raise
animals today collect fodder from the desert for their animals. It is not uncommon in Dahab
to see pick-up trucks return to town with their beds full of plants, like Shouwia purpurea,
to supplement their goats' diet. For their milk is important in many ways. With their goats'
milk, Bedouin women create a hard, salty cheese ('afeeg) and ghee, or clarified butter
(samin), that can be stored for many months. The best time for doing this is of course, if
there has been rain, in the spring after the goats have had their full of the tasty annual
herbs.
This is also the perfect time for a desert safari in Sinai. Not only will you be able to see the
desert in bloom, but you may be able to meet the Bedouin women and get a lesson in
cheese-making. A desert safari with a trusted and knowledgeable Bedouin guide is the
best way to truly understand the bounty of the desert and the powerful connection
between the land and its people.
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“Take nothing but pictures.
Leave nothing but footprints.
Kill nothing but time.”
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Directory of Plants in South Sinai
The directory contains 104 different entries - 63 at the species level and 41 at the genus
level. The plants are arranged alphabetically, by their scientific (Latin) name. Along with
images, for each entry, you will also find:
Species in Sinai: Always provided when plants are discussed at the genus level. Each list
of species is a compilation of those reported in various scholarly journals and books. (See
References.) These lists include species found in both North and South Sinai. An asterisk
(*) next to a plant name indicates species for which photographs are provided.
Common English Name: Provided when available.
Arabic Names: Transliterations provided when available. Arabic terms for plants will
depend on the dialect spoken. Egyptian Arabic names may be different than the Bedouin
Arabic, and even those may differ between tribes and locales. I have indicated when names
are common to Egypt, Bedouin, or a certain tribe.
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Description and General Information: A description of physical characteristics, growing
conditions, and animal interactions that will aid in identification and provide interesting
facts about the plant. How each individual plant appears will depend on the location, the
time of year, weather conditions, and the stage of plant development.
Practical Uses: List of traditional and contemporary uses of each species by the Sinai
Bedouin, as reported in scholarly research journals and personal interviews. These lists of
uses are not exhaustive nor representative of the whole of Sinai or Egypt. Drought
conditions will impact which plants have been available and abundant. Bedouin lifestyle
has also drastically changed over the last thirty years; no longer are they completely
nomadic people and hence depend less and less on these natural resources. The medicinal
uses described in this book are for informational purposes only. Consult a professional or
traditional healer for prescriptions and instructions directed at your particular ailment and
condition.
Similar Species in Sinai: Provided, when applicable, for plants discussed at the species
level . This is a list of similar-looking plants or plants in the same genus growing in Sinai.
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Abutilon fruticosum
Common English Name: Texas Indian Mallow
Description and General Information: Easily identified by its uniquely-shaped seed pod,
Texas Indian Mallow is a desert herb with velvety pale green leaves with serrated edges.
This shrub grows in stony wadis and coastal desert plains. The plant is woody at the base
and grows beautiful five-petaled yellow flowers that attract insects, including bees and
butterflies.
Practical Uses: Fodder.
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Achillea fragrantissima
Common English name: Lavender Cotton
Common Bedouin Arabic name: gaysūm
Description and General Information: Lavender
Cotton is a type of yarrow and belongs to the
daisy family. It is a fragrant shrub with numerous
branches growing out of a woody base. Stems
are wooly and greyish; leaves alternate, small
and oblong. Yellow, connate flowers grow in
clusters. This plant has a bitter taste.
Practical Uses: Grazing (Particularly enjoyed by
donkeys who like strong-smelling plants; by
other animals in the autumn months after other
plants have dried up.) Medicinal (Ground leaves
are boiled, cooled, and applied to purulent
sores. Leaves and stems are ground, strained,
mixed with water, and drunk to cure colic.
Leaves boiled in water are used to bathe people
with fever. Also used to treat headaches and
colds. Reported to lower blood sugar if taken for
four days.) Other Uses (a windbreak around
tents; perfume.)
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Similar Species in Sinai: Achillea santolina
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Anthemis spp.
Species found in Sinai:
Anthemis melampodina (Negev Chamomile)
Anthemis pseudocotula (Common Chamomile)
Anthemis retusa
Anthemis scrobicularis
Common English name: Chamomile
Common Bedouin Arabic name: arba-yaan
Description and General Information: There are about 100 species of this plant growing
worldwide. Chamomile, a member of the daisy family, is native to the Mediterranean region
and the medicinal use of this plant dates
back to ancient Egypt. Plants are lowgrowing annuals with hairy stems and
divided thread-like leaves. Flowers
resemble daisies with white petals and
yellow disks. Only one flower grows
atop each long, erect stalk. Stem and
leaves often appear greyish-green.
Chamomile grows well in light, sandy or
rocky soils.
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Practical Uses: Medicinal (Used in
infusions to calm nerves, to bathe
children, and to rinse infected eyes.)
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Citrullus colocynthis
Common English name: Bitter Gourd, Desert Melon, Desert Squash
Common Bedouin Arabic name: handal
Description and General Information: This desert melon is a creeping vine with rough,
angular stems covered in small, stiff hairs. The green leaves are hairy, rough and have
indentations. The flowers are yellow.
Depending on conditions, the size of the
fruit can range from the size of a golf ball
to the size of a grapefruit. The melons start
off green with streaky patches and turn
yellow when ripe. The rind is hard and the
pulp is yellow-orange and very bitter. Large
vines can grow between 40 – 60 fruits per
season. These melons are very common
throughout the region, growing in sandy
wadis and coastal desert plains.
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Practical Uses: Medicinal (Ground roast
gourd used as a poultice around the waist
to cure digestive problems. Dried
powdered gourd is used to treat diarrhea.
Gourds are also used to treat rheumatism
and joint aches.) Household Utensils
(Tinder for lighting with flint stone and
steel.)
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Cleome droserifolia
Common English name: Cleome Herb
Common Bedouin Arabic name: samwa
Description and General Information: Samwa is one of the most popular herbs in Egypt.
It is an aromatic shrub growing up to 60 cm high. The plant is covered in glandular hairs
that give off a distinct smell. The upper-side of the
leaves are green and the underside is a lighter
yellowish-green. Leaves are hairy and broadly eggshaped. Flowers are yellow with pinkish filaments
and are about 1 – 1.5 cm. Samwa grows in rocky,
gravelley and sandy wadis and plains.
Practical Uses: Medicinal (Ground leaves used to
treat bee stings. The leaves are also used as an
antibiotic for both internal and external infections.
An infusion is made that is either drunk or used to
clean the skin, eyes, or infected area. It is also
crushed into a powder and used to treat infections
on animals. Samwa is used to treat diabetes as it
lowers blood sugar.)
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Echinops spp.
Species found in Sinai:
Echinops galalensis
Echinops glaberrimus
Echinops macrochaetus
Echinops philistaeus
Echinops spinosissimus (Thorny-headed Globe Thistle)
Common English name: Globe Thistles
Common Bedouin Arabic name: khasheer
Description and General Information: Globe thistles
belong to the daisy family and are unmistakable with
their large thistle-like flowers on the top of long, skinny
stems. The alternate leaves are spiny and grow in a
rosette formation. In E. spinosissimus, the leaves are
greyish-green on top and fuzzy-white underneath.
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Despite the spikes, bees and
insects are very attracted to these
plants. The round heads grow tiny,
compact blue or grayish-white
flowers. Plants grow in rocky wadis
and stony habitats.
Practical Uses: Grazing.
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Iphiona scabra
Common Bedouin Arabic name: dhafrah
Description and General Information: A low shrub in
the daisy family that grows 25 – 60 cm high. The plant
is dense with branches and rigid, needle-like leaves
covered in glandular hairs which give off a distinctive
and pleasant smell. The narrow yellow flowers grow in
groups at the end of stalks. As they dry out, they turn
a light brown color and leave behind recognizable
star-shapes. Iphiona grows in sandy and stony wadis
and plains.
Practical Uses: Grazing. Fodder and Fuel. Ritual
(Leaves boiled and a spoonful of the brew is put into a
cup of tea to rid someone of the evil eye.)
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Similar Species in Sinai:
Iphiona mucronata
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Nitraria retusa
Common English name: Salt Tree
Common Bedouin Arabic names: ghurgad, ghurdag
Description and General Information: The salt tree is an erect shrub with many branches
that grows in salt marshes and sand dunes. The fleshy leaves grow alternately and are
bitter tasting. The white flowers grows in loose clusters. The fruits are fleshy red drupes and tasty!
Practical Uses: Grazing (Occasionally by camels; Herds are driven to this plant to cure an
intestinal disorder caused by parasites picked up from the annuals.) Food (Seeds and
fruits are edible.)
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Senna italica
Common English name: Mecca Senna
Bedouin Arabic name: sanamaki
Description and General Information: A small shrub in the legume family growing up to
one meter high with erect or ascending stems. The branches spread out and grow dark
green leaves consisting
of 3 to 6 pairs of leaflets.
The flowers are yellow
and grow in clusters at
the end of a stalk. The
curved, oblong seed
pods are flat with raised
ridges along the sides.
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Practical Uses:
Medicinal (Leaves
boiled in tea and
consumed to cure
constipation and bile.)
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Zilla spinosa
Common English name: Spiny Zilla
Common Bedouin Arabic name: silli
Description and General Information: A shrub belonging to the cabbage family and
growing up to one meter high in dome-like clusters which can stay green for several years
after rain. The branches
have many strong spines.
The flowers are pinkishpurple and have four
petals. The fruits have a
nut-like appearance.
Practical Uses:
Grazing (It is a favorite of
camels. Goats can also eat
it when the plant is young,
before the spines grow too
hard.)
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INDEX OF PLANTS IN DIRECTORY
Abutilon fruticosum
Acacia spp.
Achillea fragrantissima
Adiantum capillus-veneris
Aerva javanica
Aizoon canariense
Alhagi graecorum
Alkanna orientalis
Allium spp.
Anabasis spp.
Anagallis arvensis
Anthemis spp.
Arnebia spp.
Asclepias sinaica
Artemisia spp.
Arthrocnemum macrostachyum
Asphodelus spp.
Astragalus spp.
Atriplex spp.
Avicennia marina
Ballota spp.
Blepharis edulis
Calotropis procera
Capparis spp.
Centaurea spp.
Ceratonia siliqua
Chrozophora spp.
Citrullus colocynthis
Cleome amblyocarpa
Cleome arabica
Cleome chrysantha
Cleome droserifolia
Cometes abyssinica
Convolvulus spp.
Crataegus sinaica
Cucumis prophetarum
Diplotaxis acris
Echinops spp.
Ephedra spp.
Eremobium aegyptiacum
Erodium spp.
Euphorbia retusa
Fagonia spp.
Farsetia spp.
Ficus spp.
Forsskaolea tenacissima
Gymnarrhena micrantha
Gymnocarpos decandrus
Heliotropium spp.
Hyoscyamus spp.
Indigofera arabica
Iphiona scabra
Kickxia spp.
Lavandula spp.
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Limonium axillare
Linaria spp
Lindenbergia sinaica
Lycium shawii
Marjorana syriaca
Matthiola spp.
Mentha longifolia
Microparacaryum intermedium
Nitraria retusa
Ochradenus baccatus
Olea europaea
Onopordum ambiguum
Orobanche spp.
Panicum turgidum
Papaver spp.
Peganum harmala
Pergularia tomentosa
Phlomis aurea
Phoenix dactylifera
Phragmites australis
Picris spp.
Pulicaria spp.
Punica granatum
Prunos amygdalus
Reichardia tingitana
Retama raetam
Reseda spp.
Rosmarinus officinalis
Rumex spp.
Salsola spp.
Salvadora persica
Salvia spp.
Schouwia purpurea
Scrophularia spp.
Senecio flavus
Senna italica
Silene spp.
Solanum nigrum
Solenostemma arghel
Stachys aegyptiaca
Tamarix nilotica
Tephrosia apollinea
Teucrium spp.
Tribulus spp.
Trichodesma spp.
Trigonella spp.
Verbascum sinuatum
Zilla spinosa
Ziziphus spina-christi
Zygophyllum spp.
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Working List of Other Plants Growing in the Sinai Peninsula
Adonis dentata
Adonis microcarpa
Aegilops bicornis
Aegilops crassa
Aeluropus lagopoides
Agathophora alopecuroides
Ajuga chamaepitys
Alcea sp
Alcea striata
Althaea ludwigii
Alyssum marginatum
Alyssum simplex
Amaranthus albus
Amaranthus blitoides
Amaranthus graecizans
Amaranthus hybridus
Amaranthus palmeri
Amaranthus retroflexus
Amaranthus viridis
Ambrosia maritima
Ammi majus
Ammochloa palaestina
Anarrhinum pubescens
Anastatica hierochuntica
Andrachne aspera
Andrachne telephioides
Androcymbium gramineum
Anchusa aegyptiaca
Anchusa milleri
Anemone coronaria
Anticharis glandulosa
Anvillea garcinii
Arabidopsis kneuckeri
Arabidopsis pumila
Arabis auricata
Arabis verna
Arenaria deflexa
Argyrolobium arabicum
Argyrolobium uniflorum
Aristida adscensionis
Arundo donax
Asparagus stipularis
Asperugo procumbens
Asteriscus graveolens
Asteriscus hierochunticus
Asterolinon linum-stellatum
Astoma seselifolium
Atractylis carduus
Atractylis mernephtae
Atractylis phaeolepis
Atraphaxis spinosa
Bassia arabica
Bassia eriophora
Bassia indica
Bassia muricata
Beta vulgaris
Biarum olivieri
Bidens pilosa
Biscutella didyma
Boissiera squarrosa
Bolanthus hirsutus
Brachypodium distachyum
Brassica deserti
Brassica tournefortii
Bromusdanthoniae
Bromus madritensis
Bromus rubens
Bromus scoparius
Bromus sinaicus
Bromus tectorum
Buglossoides tenuiflora
Bupleurum falcatum
Bupleurum lancifolium
Bupleurum semicompositum
Bufonia multiceps
Calendula arvensis
Calligonum comosum
Callipeltis aperta
Callipeltis cuccularia
Campanula dulcis
Caralluma europaea
Caralluma sinaica
Carduncellus eriocephalus
Carduus arabicus
Carduus australis
Carduus getulus
Carthamus persicus
Carthamus tenuis
Carex distans
Carrichtera annua
Catapodium rigidum
Caylusea hexagyna
Centropodia fragilis
Cerastium dichotomum
Ceratocephala falcata
Ceterach officinarum
Chaetosciadium trichospermum
Cheilanthes acrostica
Chenopodium album
Chenopodium ambrosoides
Chenopodium murale
Chenopodium vulvaria
Chiliadenus iphionoides
Chiliadenus montanus
Chrysanthemum coronarium
Clypeola jonthlaspi
Cocculus pendulus
Cotula cinerea
Colchicum ritchii
Colchicum schimperi
Colchicum tunicatum
Colutea istria
Commicarpus helenae
Commicarpus sinuatus
Conyza bonariensis
Conyza canadensis
Conyza stricta
Corchorus oblitorius
Cornulaca monacantha
Coronilla scorpioides
Corynephorus divaricatus
Cotoneaster orbicularis
Crepis aculeata
Crepis aspera
Crepis sancta
Cressa cretica
Crotalaria aegyptiaca
Crucianella ciliata
Crucianella membranacea
Cucurbita pepo
Cupressus sempervirens
Cuscuta palaestina
Cuscuta planiflora
Cutandia dichotoma
Cutandia memphitica
Cydonia oblonga
Cymbopogon schoenanthus
Cynodon dactylon
Cynomorium coccineum
Cyperus conglomeratus
Cyperus jeminicus
Cyperus laevigatus
Cyperus rotundus
Danthoniopsis barbata
Daucus littoralis
Delphinium peregrinum
Desmostachya bipinnata
Deverra tortuosus
Deverra triradiata
Dianthus sinaicus
Dianthus strictus
Dichanthium annulatum
Dichanthium foveolatum
Dipcadi erythraeum
Doellia bovei
Echiochilon fruticosum
Echium angustifolium
Echium rauwolfi
Emex spinosa
Eminium spiculatum
Enarthrocarpus strangulatus
Epipactis veratrifolia
Eremopoa persica
Eremopogon foveolatus
Erucaria hispanica
Erucaria pinnata
Erucaria rostrata
Eruca sativa
Eryngium glomeratum
Equisetum ramosissimum
Ferula sinaica
Filago desertorum
Fimbristylis ferruginea
Foeniculum vulgare
Frankenia hirsuta
Frankenia pulverulenta
Fumana arabica
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Fumana thymifolia
Fumaria densiflora
Fumaria parviflora
Gagea fibrosa
Gagea reticulata
Galium ceratopodum
Galium murale
Galium setaceum
Galium sinaicum
Galium spurium
Gastrocotyle hispida
Gomphocarpus sinaicus
Globularia arabica
Glossonema boveanum
Guettarda elliptica
Gundelia tournefortii
Gypsophila arabica
Gypsophila capillaris
Gypsophila viscosa
Halocnemum strobilaceum
Haloxylon persicum
Haloxylon negevensis
Haloxylon salicornica
Haloxylon scoparia
Hammada elegans
Haplophyllum poorei
Haplophyllum tuberculatum
Hedypnois rhagadioloides
Helianthemum kahiricum
Helianthemum ledifolium
Helianthemum lippi
Helianthemum sancti-antonii
Helianthemum sessiliflorum
Helianthemum stipulatum
Helianthemum ventosum
Helianthemum vesicarium
Herniaria hemistemon
Herniaria hirsuta
Hibiscus micranthus
Hippocrepis areolata
Hippocrepis constricta
Hippocrepis multisiliquosa
Hippocrepis unisiliquosa
Holosteum umbellatum
Hordeum murinum
Hormuzakia aggregata
Hyparrhenia hirta
Hypecoum pendulum
Hypercium sinaicum
Hyphaene thebaica
Ifloga rueppellii
Ifloga spicata
Imperata cylindrica
Inula viscosa
Isatis lusitanica
Isatis microcarpa
Ixiolirion tataricum
Juncus acutus
Juncus bufonius
Juncus inflexus
Juncus punctorius
Juncus rigidus
Juncus subulatus
Juniperus phoenicea
Jurinea staehelinae
Koelpinia linearis
Krascheninnikovia ceratoides
Lactuca orientalis
Lactuca serriola
Lactuca undulata
Lamarckia aurea
Lappula sinaica
Lappula spinocarpos
Lasiopogon muscoides
Lasiurus scindicus
Launaea angustifolia
Launaea capitata
Launaea fragilis
Launaea mucronata
Launaea nudicaulis
Launaea resedifolia
Launaea spinosa
Leopoldia comosa
Leopoldia eburnea
Leontice leontopetalum
Leontodon laciniatus
Leptadenia pyrotechnica
Leptaleum filifolium
Leysera leyseroides
Limoniastrum monopetalum
Lobularia arabica
Lobularia libyca
Loeflingia hispanica
Lolium multiflorum
Lotus creticus
Lotus halophilus
Lotus hebranicus
Lotus glinoides
Lotus lanuginosus
Lycoperiscon esculentum
Lygeum spartum
Malcolmia africana
Malus domestica
Malva aegyptia
Malva parviflora
Malva neglecta
Malva sylvestris
Maresia nana
Matricaria aurea
Medicago laciniata
Medicago marina
Medicago monspeliaca
Medicago polymorpha
Medicago sativa
Melica persica
Mesembryanthemum
crystallinum
Mesembryanthemum forsskalii
Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum
Micromeria serbaliana
Micromeria sinaica
Minuartia hybrida
Minuartia meyeri
Minuartia picta
Moltkiopsis ciliata
Monsonia heliotropioides
Monsonia nivea
Morettia canescens
Morettia parviflora
Morettia philaeana
Moricandia nitens
Moricandia sinaica
Moringa peregrina
Muscari commutatum
Nasturtiopsis coronopifolia
Neotorularia torulosa
Nepeta septemcrenata
Neurada procumbens
Nicotiana spp
Noaea mucronata
Notoceras bicorne
Ogastemma pusillum
Oligomeris linifolia
Onobrychis crista-galli
Onobrychis ptolemaica
Onobrychis squarrosa
Ononis reclinata
Ononis serrata
Ononis sicula
Opophytum forsskalii
Otostegia fruticosa
Pancratium parviflorum
Pancratium maritimum
Pancratium sickenbergeri
Paronychia arabica
Paronychia argentea
Paronychia sinaica
Paracaryum rugulosum
Parapholis incurva
Parietaria alsinifolia
Pennisetum asperifolium
Pennisetum ciliare
Pennisetum divisum
Pennisetum orientale
Periploca aphylla
Phagnalon barbeyanum
Phagnalon nitidum
Phagnalon rupestre
Phagnalon sinaicum
Phalaris minor
Phalaris paradoxa
Phyla nodiflora
Pimpinella cretica
Piptatherum miliaceum
Pistacia atlantica
Pistacia khinjuk
Plantago afra
Plantago amplexicaulis
Plantago albicans
Plantago ciliata
Plantago coronopus
Plantago cylindrica
Plantago notata
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Wandering through Wadis
REFERENCES
Aly, D., & Khalil, R. (2011). Wildlife in South Sinai. Cairo: EU and G.O.S.S.
al-Mufti, M. (2000). Flora of Nabq protected area. Cairo: Egyptian Environmental
Affairs Agency.
Bailey, C., & Danin, A. (1981). Bedouin plant utilization in the Sinai and the
Negev. Economic Botany, 35(2), 145–162.
Batanouny, K.H. (Ed.). (2005). Encyclopaedia of wild medicinal plants in Egypt,
Vol. 1. Cairo: Conservation and Sustainable Use of Medicinal Plants in Arid
and Semi-arid Ecosystems in Egypt, Project of EEAA, GEF, and UNDP.
Batanouny, K.H. (Ed.). (2006). Encyclopaedia of wild medicinal plants in Egypt,
Vol.2. Cairo: Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs, Egypt.
Danin, A. (ed.) 2006+, {continuously updated}, Flora of Israel online. The
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel. Published at
http://flora.huji.ac.il/browse.asp
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-----. (1978). Plant species diversity and ecological districts of the Sinai desert.
Vegetatio, 36(2), 83-93.
Danin, A., Shmida, A., & Liston, A. (1985). Contributions to the flora of Sinai,
III: Checklist of species collected and recorded by the Jerusalem team 1967
– 1982. Willdenowia, 15(1), 255-322.
el-Hadidi, M., & Boulos, L. (1988). The street trees of Egypt. Cairo: The
American University in Cairo Press.
Flowers in Israel is a site that maintains a database with photographs and
information about flora in the region. (http://www.flowersinisrael.com/).
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. (2005).
Medicinal plants in north Africa. Retrieved from IUCN Database.
Kamal, W., Gazar, M., Zalat, S., & Gilbert, F. (2002). Flora of St. Katherine P
rotectorate: Key to families and genera. Egyptian Journal of Biology, 4, 45 –
75.
Mahmoud, T. (2010). Desert plants of Egypt's Wadi El Gemal National Park.
Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press.
Moustafa, A., & Zaghloul, M. (1996). Environment and vegetation in the
montane Saint Catherine area, south Sinai, Egypt. Journal of Arid
Environments, 34, 331–349.
Simpson
Wandering through Wadis
Springuel, I. (2006). The desert garden: A practical guide. Cairo: The American
University in Cairo Press.
The Plant List is a site that maintains a working list of all known plant species.
(http://www.theplantlist.org/ )
Wild Flowers of Israel is a site devoted to the study of wild plants in Israel and is
aimed at the general public, available in Hebrew and English.
(http://www.wildflowers.co.il/english/ )
Zahran, M.A., & Willis, A.J. (2009). The Vegetation of Egypt. Springer Science +
Business Media B.V.
Zalat, S., & Gilbert, F. (2008). Gardens of a sacred landscape: Bedouin heritage
and natural history in the high mountains of Sinai. Cairo: The American
University in Cairo Press.
Zalat, S., Gilbert, F., Fadel, H., El-Hawagry, M., Saleh,M., Kamel, S., & Gilbert,J.
(2008). Biological explorations of Sinai: Flora and fauna of Wadi Isla and
Hebran, St Katherine Proctecorate, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Natural
History, 5, 6 – 15.
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Wandering through Wadis
About the Author
Bernadette Simpson moved to Cairo with
her family in 1993. The following year she
received her high school diploma - printed
on papyrus paper - in the shadows of the
Great Pyramid at Giza. Egypt has been her
home ever since. Bernadette holds a
Masters of Education degree, with a focus
on language and literature, and has been
teaching since 1999. She believes if you
cannot find the book you are looking for
on the shelves, then you should write it
yourself! Bernadette wrote and published her first book, An ABC Escapade through Egypt,
to fill a need in her classroom for English-language children’s books about modern day
Egypt. After moving to Dahab and while working on the sequel, An ABC Safari through
Sinai, Bernadette began researching the healing herbs of the desert. As her interest in the
desert plants grew into a passion, so did her disappointment in not finding an available
guidebook, so she began to organize her own research into this guide, Wandering through
Wadis. She did indeed wander off for a while, but her desert plant research only enriched
her knowledge of the Sinai and Bernadette is now continuing her ABC Safari through Sinai,
which she hopes to publish in the near future.
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Acknowledgements
Many thanks to my husband, Nadim El Kotry, for his assistance with researching the Arabic
names for the plants. To Eid El Atrash of Bedouin History Desert Safari, for his excellent
guiding skills and for sharing his passion for the desert. And to my mother, Ginda Ayd
Simpson, for her editing and continuous support.
Simpson
Wandering through Wadis