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Plumbago arabica

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Plumbago arabica
Plumbago arabica in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Plumbaginaceae
Genus: Plumbago
Species:
P. arabica
Binomial name
Plumbago arabica
Synonyms[1]
  • Dyerophytum arabicum (Boiss.) M.R.Almeida (2001)
  • Dyerophytum indicum (Gibson ex Wight) Kuntze (1891)
  • Plumbago dyerophyta Christenh. & Byng (2018)
  • Vogelia arabica Boiss. (1848) (basionym)
  • Vogelia indica Gibson ex Wight (1847)
  • Vogelia perfoliata Stocks ex Wight (1847)

Plumbago arabica is a species of flowering plant in the genus Plumbago. It is a subshrub native to western and central India and to Oman and the United Arab Emirates in the southeastern Arabian Peninsula, where it grows in deserts and dry shrublands.[1]

Uses

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The mineral coating on the Plumbago arabica was an important saline browse for livestock, especially the camels of the mountains and plains areas as well as providing a substitute for salt used during cooking.

The dried stem of the plant was also sliced into thin shavings and smoked as a tobacco, usually for medicinal reasons to treat chest conditions and breathing difficulties.

The older, tougher stems were also traditionally used in Dhofar for building bird traps, used mainly to capture partridges. The birds were attracted to the traps by the bait of scattered grain.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Plumbago arabica (Boiss.) Christenh. & Byng. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  2. ^ G. Miller, Anthony; Morris, Miranda (1988). Plants of Dhofar. Oman. p. 228. ISBN 071570808-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)