Polycarpaea repens

Polycarpaea repens
Polycarpaea repens in southern Qatar
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Polycarpaea
Species:
P. repens
Binomial name
Polycarpaea repens
(Forssk.) Asch. & Schweinf.

Polycarpaea repens is a low-growing herbaceous plant belonging to the Caryophyllaceae family. It is indigenous to arid and semi-arid regions across North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and into Pakistan.

Description

Polycarpaea repens is an annual or short-lived perennial, with a woody base and spreading, slender branches. Its size ranges from 5 to 30 cm. It forms low, hairy, sprawling mats. Small leaves bear rough stipules, and its flowers are diminutive. The fruit is a small, many-seeded capsule.

Habitat

This species typically occupies sandy or stony soils and is frequently found in sabkha margins, sand sheets, and gravel plains.

Distribution

It naturally occurs from the Sahara through the Persian Gulf States to Pakistan.

Folk use

In Qatar, local Bedouin accounts note its traditional use in treating camel mange and as an antidote for snakebites.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Polycarpaea repens (Forssk.) Asch. & Schweinf". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Kameela". Qatar e-Nature. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  3. 1 2 Abdel Bary, Ekhlas M.M. (November 2012). The Flora of Qatar (The Dicotyledons) (PDF). Vol. 1. Doha: Qatar University. p. 313.