| Camel Thorn |
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Botanical name: Alhagi maurorum Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
Synonyms: Alhagi pseudalhagi, Alhagi camelorum, Alhagi persarum
Synonyms: Alhagi pseudalhagi, Alhagi camelorum, Alhagi persarum
Camel Thorn is an undershrub, 2-3 ft cm tall, hairless
or velvet-hairy, often used as camel fodder. Leaves are simple, 1.0-2.5
cm long, 3-8 mm broad, obovate or elliptic-oblong, hairless or
velvet-hairy, entire, apiculate; leaf-stalk about 2 mm; stipules
minute. Flowers are borne in lateral, leaf-axils racemes, 1-5 cm long,
ending in spine. Flower-stalks are 1-3 mm, with 1-2 minute bracteoles.
Calyx is 2-2.5 mm, hairless, teeth almost obsolete to triangular.
Flowers are 6-9 mm long, pink or reddish-violet. Fruit is 2.0-3.5 cm
long, 2-3 mm broad, hairless, more or less constricted between the
seeds, 1-9-seeded. Camel Thorn is found in Pakistan, Kashmir, Iran,
Afghanistan; Russia, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Cyprus, N Africa.
It is also found in Western Himalayas. Flowering: April-September.
Medicinal uses:
An oil from the leaves is used
in the treatment of rheumatism. The flowers are used in the treatment
of piles.
Medicinal uses:
An oil from the leaves is used
in the treatment of rheumatism. The flowers are used in the treatment
of piles. | Identification credit: Ankush Dave | Photographed in Dholpur, Rajasthan. |
• Is this flower misidentified? If yes,