Zygophyllum eurypterum Boiss. & Buhse

This lush green shrub is eaten by goats and camels and it is also said to be a good fuel.

In view of considerable overlapping in leaf shape and size, we have not followed Hadidi (l.c.) in recognising infraspecific taxa.

Erect, 50-100 cm tall, profusely branched shrub. Leaves simple, flat, fleshy, spathulate or subrotundate to almost rotundate, 1.4-2.3 cm long, 0.8-1.8 cm broad, attenuated to short petiole, apex obtuse. Flowers tetramerous, yellow, c. 1 cm across; pedicels erect, filiform, c. 1-1.5 cm long; disc cupular. Sepals 4, ovate, 2 short, c. 3.5 mm long, obtuse, 2 long, 5-6 mm long, c. 3.5 mm broad, somewhat retuse. Petals 4, broadly obovate, c. 8 mm long, c. 6 mm broad, apex obtuse. Stamens 8, exserted, filaments c. 1.2 cm long, scales lacerate, c. 4 mm long. Carpels 4; ovary substipitate, c. 3 mm long, glabrous, 4-angled, 4-loculed; style c. 4 mm long, persistent. Capsule oblate-spherical, 4-winged, 2-2.5 cm long, 3-3.5 cm across, 4-loculed, each locule 1-3-seeded, wings c. 1.5-1.7 cm broad, retuse at the base and apex. Seeds black, somewhat reniform, smooth.

Distribution: Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia (Pamir-Alai, Turcomania, Caucasia), Iraq, Syria, Palestine and North Africa.

Fl. Per.: March-May.