Dipterygium glaucum Decne.

Egyptian desert, Res Sea coastal strip and Gebel Elba.

Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Arabia, Iran, Pakistan.

Sandy and gravelly deserts.

Perennial herb or subshrub.

Much branched undershrubs, up to 60 cm tall, glabrous rarely glandular, woody at the base; branches slender, terete, apparently leafless. Leaves elliptic-oblong, 3-10 (-15) mm long, 2-3 mm broad (incl. 0.5-1 mm long petiole), subfleshy, glabrous (basal and lower leaves in young plants broader and with longer petiole). Flowers minute, in lax ebracteate or bracteate racemes; pedicels 2-3 mm long, filiform. Sepals 1.5-2 mm long, 0.7 mm broad, ovate-oblong, acute or acuminate. Petals 3-4 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, ovate-elliptic, apex obtuse, yellowish. Stamens 6, alike, about as long as the petals; filaments simple, linear, anthers about 1 mm long, ovoid. Fruits 3-6 mm long, 2.5-6 mm broad, ellipsoid, subcompressed, often slightly winged, indehiscent, usually one seeded, somewhat crustaceous.

Distribution: Arabia, Egypt, Sudan and W. Pakistan.