''Calligonum comosum'', the fire bush, arta or abal, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae. The plant grows to around tall, with green branches that split off from the main stem like the wisps of a broom. The plant is high in

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

and nitrogen. It is native to the

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

, Socotra, the

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...

, and in the Middle East as far east as Pakistan and the Rajasthan desert in western India. The flowers can be eaten fresh. It is useful as a stabilizer of sand dunes, forage for livestock, smokeless firewood, and an indicator of fresh water. Calligonum comosum flower and fruits 1

References

comosum Flora of North Africa Flora of Mauritania Flora of Mali Flora of Niger Flora of Chad Flora of Sudan Flora of Socotra Flora of the Arabian Peninsula Flora of Western Asia Flora of Pakistan Plants described in 1791 {{Polygonaceae-stub