SAMPLE Wandering through Wadis A nature-lover’s guide to the flora of South Sinai

Bernadette Simpson

Dahab, South Sinai, Egypt This PDF is a sample, containing 10 entries in the directory of plants, given for free as a preview to the complete publication.

To learn more visit www.bernadettesimpson.com SAMPLE

Copyright © 2013 by Bernadette Simpson

Wandering through Wadis: A nature-lover’s guide to the flora of South Sinai Published by NimNam Books ~ February 2013 ISBN 13 (PDF): 978-0-9859718-1-6 ISBN 13 (Paperback): 978-0-9859718-2-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.

Contact the author at: [email protected] Table of Contents

Author’s Note...... 7

Introduction Sinai ~ The Land and Flora ...... ….…...... 8 Sinai ~ The People ………………………….…11

Directory of South Sinai Plants...... 13 The directory contains 104 different entries - 63 at the species level and 41 at the genus level. The plants are arranged alphabetically, by their scientific (Latin) name. For each entry, common English and Arabic names are provided, as well as a description, and lists SAMPLEof similar species and practical uses. Glossary...... …125

Index of Plants in Directory...... 126

List of Plants by Region...... 127

Working List of Other Plant Species in Sinai...….128

References...... 131

About the Author/Acknowledgements…………133 Author’s Note

“If you want to learn about something, write a book about it.”

I am not a botanist; I am a curious nature-lover and amateur photographer, passionate about the natural and cultural heritage of south Sinai. I moved here with my husband in 2007 and one of our favourite past-times has been wandering through the desert wadis. Wandering. It's a type of walking that allows me to claim no destination, no predetermined path. No one hurrying me along to arrive at a scheduled appointment. A type of walking that allows me to observe, to photograph, to wonder. A walk that allows me the freedom to follow a crack in the mountains because a bright yellow bloom has caught my eye.

After being blessed with winter rains for two consecutive seasons (2009 and 2010), the wadis of south Sinai went wild with blooms and I wandered hours on end with my camera in hand and an insatiable desire to capture their fragile beauty with my lens. In my attempts to identify these desert plants, I began my studies. My learning journey was long and sometimes frustrating but, in the end, rewarding. The invaluable information provided in others’ research and guide books, and the knowledge and experience shared by my dear Bedouin friends and guides, contributed greatly to my own learning and enabled me in the end to create my ownSAMPLE guidebook of images and information. Not being a botanist means that I deal with many plants at the genus level, when closer observation and specialized knowledge is needed to identify individual species. As a curious nature-lover, I am content with this level of knowledge.

In addition to this guidebook, I have begun a Wildlife of the Sinai Peninsula mission on Project Noah.org, an online portal for citizen scientists and nature-lovers to upload and share images, and identify the flora and fauna they encounter. You will find many of the plants in this guide as part of this mission. But you will also find dozens of images of the local desert critters ~ spiders, birds, butterflies, lizards, dragonflies, snakes, and even a fox. Check it out. And join us!

As this book goes to publication in February 2013, Sinai is again being blessed with a wet rainy season, promising an abundantly green spring. It is my hope that this guidebook will help other desert-lovers learn more about Sinai’s rich natural heritage.

~ Bernadette

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Introduction

Sinai ~ The People

The original inhabitants of the Sinai peninsula were bedouin, traditionally nomadic pastoralists who journeyed through the desert in search of fresh pasture for their herds of sheep, goats, and camels. Today, the majority of Bedouin in south Sinai lead a sedentary lifestyle, staying in one place for most of the year. They live in towns that have developed over the past 30 years – Ras Sudr, El Tor, Abu Rudeis, Dahab, Nuweiba, as well as various smaller villages - and many work in the tourism industry as drivers, safari guides, or dive guides. But many continue to also raise domesticated animals. And most continue to have a strong, passionate connection to the desert. There are plenty of “settled” Bedouin who, come springtime, pack their trucks with a tent, blankets, utensils, supplies – and together with their goats and sheep – head to the mountains where the pasture is best for their herds. Traditionally, Bedouin are well respected for their knowledge of the desert and its useful plants, although as their lifestyle changes, so does their knowledge of the local flora. When asking my Bedouin friends about a plant's name or usage, I was often referred to the elders and told that the younger generations, sadly, know very little.

Much of the information about the practical uses of the desert plants in this guide comes from research conducted by Bailey and Danin (1981). They report that during their 6-year survey they “encountered no plant that was not useful to the bedouins in one way or another” (p.145). Plants are an important part of traditional Bedouin culture and provide nutrition,SAMPLE medicine, or the material needed to build various tools, equipment, and other useful items. Plants are also used in ceremonies and rites of passages and are commonly referred to in Bedouin poetry. Over half of the place names in Sinai come from plant names. There's 'Ain Za'atar, the Spring of Thyme, and Farsh al Rummana, the Place of Pommegranates, and Abu Hibayig, the Place with Mint, just to name a few. Plant names have also served as inspiration for the naming of children. And like many cultures, Bedouins associate life and vitality with the color green. A generous and friendly person may be referred to by Bedouin as “having a green face” (wijhih akhdhar).

Bailey and Danin also report that every species of desert plant is eaten by at least one of the animals that Bedouin raise – goats, sheep, camels, or donkeys. Of course, each animal has preferred plants, but the animals eat every sort of plant. Some plants may make goats and camels ill, but not donkeys. Other plants are poisonous only at certain stages of growth but can be eaten when they are young. For example, young henbane (Hyoscyamus sp) can be ingested with no ill effects, but older plants intoxicate the animals . Donkeys will eat the poisonous Anabasis syriaca but only after it has dried up. Seasons also determine which plants the animals eat. If there has been a winter rainy season, December to April are the best months for pasture. This is when the annuals are in bloom, including many plants in the daisy and cabbage families. These fresh herbs help the animals produce plenty of milk. Once the khamseen winds start to blow and the heat wave begins in May, most annual herbs dry up and the animals begin to eat different straw-like annuals as well as semi-shrubs

Simpson Wandering through Wadis such as wormwoods (Artemisia sp.) and Gymnocarpus decandrus. August to November are the most difficult months for pasture. Animals feed during this time on Acacia pods and other shrubs and bushes that they avoid at other times, like Achillea fragrantissima, Atriplex halimus, and Zygophyllum dumosum. However, without rain and new annuals to eat, pasturing goats will not get enough nourishment from these plants to lactate. As a result, many of the kids born in the fall would not survive. For nomadic peoples, this is when they would pack up and move on in search of pasture elsewhere. The Bedouin who still raise animals today collect fodder from the desert for their animals. It is not uncommon in Dahab to see pick-up trucks return to town with their beds full of plants, like Shouwia purpurea, to supplement their goats' diet. For their milk is important in many ways. With their goats' milk, Bedouin women create a hard, salty cheese ('afeeg) and ghee, or clarified butter (samin), that can be stored for many months. The best time for doing this is of course, if there has been rain, in the spring after the goats have had their full of the tasty annual herbs.

This is also the perfect time for a desert safari in Sinai. Not only will you be able to see the desert in bloom, but you may be able to meet the Bedouin women and get a lesson in cheese-making. A desert safari with a trusted and knowledgeable Bedouin guide is the best way to truly understand the bounty of the desert and the powerful connection betweenSAMPLE the land and its people.

“Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time.”

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Directory of Plants in South Sinai

The directory contains 104 different entries - 63 at the species level and 41 at the genus level. The plants are arranged alphabetically, by their scientific (Latin) name. Along with images, for each entry, you will also find:

Species in Sinai: Always provided when plants are discussed at the genus level. Each list of species is a compilation of those reported in various scholarly journals and books. (See References.) These lists include species found in both North and South Sinai. An asterisk (*) next to a plant name indicates species for which photographs are provided.

Common English Name: Provided when available.

Arabic Names: Transliterations provided when available. Arabic terms for plants will depend on the dialect spoken. Egyptian Arabic names may be different than the Bedouin Arabic, and even those may differ between tribes and locales. I have indicated when names are common to Egypt, Bedouin, or a certain tribe.

Description and General Information: A description of physical characteristics, growing conditions, and animal interactions that will aid in identification and provide interesting facts about the plant. How each individual plant appears will depend on the location, the time of year, weather conditions, and the stage of plant development. PracticalSAMPLE Uses: List of traditional and contemporary uses of each species by the Sinai Bedouin, as reported in scholarly research journals and personal interviews. These lists of uses are not exhaustive nor representative of the whole of Sinai or Egypt. Drought conditions will impact which plants have been available and abundant. Bedouin lifestyle has also drastically changed over the last thirty years; no longer are they completely nomadic people and hence depend less and less on these natural resources. The medicinal uses described in this book are for informational purposes only. Consult a professional or traditional healer for prescriptions and instructions directed at your particular ailment and condition.

Similar Species in Sinai: Provided, when applicable, for plants discussed at the species level . This is a list of similar-looking plants or plants in the same genus growing in Sinai.

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Abutilon fruticosum Common English Name: Texas Indian Mallow

Description and General Information: Easily identified by its uniquely-shaped seed pod, Texas Indian Mallow is a desert herb with velvety pale green leaves with serrated edges. This shrub grows in stony wadis and coastal desert plains. The plant is woody at the base and grows beautiful five-petaled yellow flowers that attract insects, including bees and butterflies.

Practical Uses: Fodder. SAMPLE

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Achillea fragrantissima Common English name: Lavender Cotton

Common Bedouin Arabic name: gaysūm

Description and General Information: Lavender Cotton is a type of yarrow and belongs to the daisy family. It is a fragrant shrub with numerous branches growing out of a woody base. Stems are wooly and greyish; leaves alternate, small and oblong. Yellow, connate flowers grow in clusters. This plant has a bitter taste.

Practical Uses: Grazing (Particularly enjoyed by donkeys who like strong-smelling plants; by other animals in the autumn months after other plants have dried up.) Medicinal (Ground leaves are boiled, cooled, and applied to purulent sores. Leaves and stems are ground, strained, mixed with water, and drunk to cure colic. Leaves boiled in water are used to bathe people with fever. Also used to treat headaches and colds. Reported to lower blood sugar if taken for fourSAMPLE days.) Other Uses (a windbreak around tents; perfume.)

Similar Species in Sinai: Achillea santolina

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Anthemis spp.

Species found in Sinai: Anthemis melampodina (Negev Chamomile) Anthemis pseudocotula (Common Chamomile) Anthemis retusa Anthemis scrobicularis

Common English name: Chamomile

Common Bedouin Arabic name: arba-yaan

Description and General Information: There are about 100 species of this plant growing worldwide. Chamomile, a member of the daisy family, is native to the Mediterranean region and the medicinal use of this plant dates back to ancient Egypt. Plants are low- growing annuals with hairy stems and divided thread-like leaves. Flowers resemble daisies with white petals and yellow disks. Only one flower grows atop each long, erect stalk. Stem and leaves often appear greyish-green. Chamomile grows well in light, sandy or rockySAMPLE soils. Practical Uses: Medicinal (Used in infusions to calm nerves, to bathe children, and to rinse infected eyes.)

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Citrullus colocynthis Common English name: Bitter Gourd, Desert Melon, Desert Squash

Common Bedouin Arabic name: handal

Description and General Information: This desert melon is a creeping vine with rough, angular stems covered in small, stiff hairs. The green leaves are hairy, rough and have indentations. The flowers are yellow. Depending on conditions, the size of the fruit can range from the size of a golf ball to the size of a grapefruit. The melons start off green with streaky patches and turn yellow when ripe. The rind is hard and the pulp is yellow-orange and very bitter. Large vines can grow between 40 – 60 fruits per season. These melons are very common throughout the region, growing in sandy wadis and coastal desert plains.

Practical Uses: Medicinal (Ground roast gourd used as a poultice around the waist to cure digestive problems. Dried powderedSAMPLE gourd is used to treat diarrhea. Gourds are also used to treat rheumatism and joint aches.) Household Utensils (Tinder for lighting with flint stone and steel.)

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Cleome droserifolia Common English name: Cleome Herb

Common Bedouin Arabic name: samwa

Description and General Information: Samwa is one of the most popular herbs in Egypt. It is an aromatic shrub growing up to 60 cm high. The plant is covered in glandular hairs that give off a distinct smell. The upper-side of the leaves are green and the underside is a lighter yellowish-green. Leaves are hairy and broadly egg- shaped. Flowers are yellow with pinkish filaments and are about 1 – 1.5 cm. Samwa grows in rocky, gravelley and sandy wadis and plains.

Practical Uses : Medicinal (Ground leaves used to treat bee stings. The leaves are also used as an antibiotic for both internal and external infections. An infusion is made that is either drunk or used to clean the skin, eyes, or infected area. It is also crushed into a powder and used to treat infections on animals. Samwa is used to treat diabetes as it lowersSAMPLE blood sugar.)

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Echinops spp. Species found in Sinai: Echinops galalensis Echinops glaberrimus Echinops macrochaetus Echinops philistaeus Echinops spinosissimus (Thorny-headed Globe Thistle)

Common English name: Globe Thistles

Common Bedouin Arabic name: khasheer

Description and General Information: Globe thistles belong to the daisy family and are unmistakable with their large thistle-like flowers on the top of long, skinny stems. The alternate leaves are spiny and grow in a rosette formation. In E. spinosissimus, the leaves are greyish-green on top and fuzzy-white underneath.

Despite the spikes, bees and insects are very attracted to these plants. The round heads grow tiny, compact blue or grayish-white SAMPLEflowers. Plants grow in rocky wadis and stony habitats.

Practical Uses: Grazing.

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Iphiona scabra

Common Bedouin Arabic name: dhafrah

Description and General Information: A low shrub in the daisy family that grows 25 – 60 cm high. The plant is dense with branches and rigid, needle-like leaves covered in glandular hairs which give off a distinctive and pleasant smell. The narrow yellow flowers grow in groups at the end of stalks. As they dry out, they turn a light brown color and leave behind recognizable star-shapes. Iphiona grows in sandy and stony wadis and plains.

Practical Uses: Grazing. Fodder and Fuel. Ritual (Leaves boiled and a spoonful of the brew is put into a cup of tea to rid someone of the evil eye.)

Similar Species in Sinai: SAMPLEIphiona mucronata

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Nitraria retusa Common English name: Salt Tree

Common Bedouin Arabic names: ghurgad, ghurdag

Description and General Information: The salt tree is an erect shrub with many branches that grows in salt marshes and sand dunes. The fleshy leaves grow alternately and are bitter tasting. The white flowers grows in loose clusters. The fruits are fleshy red drupes - and tasty!

Practical Uses: Grazing (Occasionally by camels; Herds are driven to this plant to cure an intestinal disorder caused by parasites picked up from the annuals.) Food (Seeds and fruits are edible.) SAMPLE

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Senna italica Common English name: Mecca Senna

Bedouin Arabic name: sanamaki

Description and General Information: A small shrub in the legume family growing up to one meter high with erect or ascending stems. The branches spread out and grow dark green leaves consisting of 3 to 6 pairs of leaflets. The flowers are yellow and grow in clusters at the end of a stalk. The curved, oblong seed pods are flat with raised ridges along the sides.

Practical Uses: Medicinal (Leaves boiled in tea and consumed to cure constipationSAMPLE and bile.)

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Zilla spinosa

Common English name: Spiny Zilla

Common Bedouin Arabic name: silli

Description and General Information: A shrub belonging to the cabbage family and growing up to one meter high in dome-like clusters which can stay green for several years after rain. The branches have many strong spines. The flowers are pinkish- purple and have four petals. The fruits have a nut-like appearance.

Practical Uses: Grazing (It is a favorite of camels. Goats can also eat it when the plant is young, before the spines grow too hard.)SAMPLE

Simpson Wandering through Wadis INDEX OF PLANTS IN DIRECTORY

Abutilon fruticosum 14 Limonium axillare 73 Acacia spp. 15 Linaria spp 74 Achillea fragrantissima 17 Lindenbergia sinaica 75 Adiantum capillus-veneris 18 Lycium shawii 76 Aerva javanica 19 Majorana syriaca 77 Aizoon canariense 20 Matthiola spp. 78 Alhagi graecorum 21 Mentha longifolia 79 Alkanna orientalis 22 Microparacaryum intermedium 80 Allium spp. 23 Nitraria retusa 81 Anabasis spp. 24 Ochradenus baccatus 82 Anagallis arvensis 25 Olea europaea 83 Anthemis spp. 26 Onopordum ambiguum 84 Arnebia spp. 27 Orobanche spp. 85 Asclepias sinaica 28 Panicum turgidum 86 Artemisia spp. 29 Papaver spp. 87 Arthrocnemum macrostachyum 31 Peganum harmala 88 Asphodelus spp. 32 Pergularia tomentosa 89 Astragalus spp. 33 Phlomis aurea 90 Atriplex spp. 35 Phoenix dactylifera 91 Avicennia marina 36 Phragmites australis 92 Ballota spp. 37 Picris spp. 93 Blepharis edulis 38 Pulicaria spp. 94 Calotropis procera 39 Punica granatum 96 Capparis spp. 40 Prunos amygdalus 97 Centaurea spp. 42 Reichardia tingitana 98 Ceratonia siliqua 43 Retama raetam 99 Chrozophora spp. 44 Reseda spp. 100 Citrullus colocynthis 45 Rosmarinus officinalis 101 CleomeSAMPLE amblyocarpa 46 Rumex spp. 102 Cleome arabica 47 Salsola spp. 103 Cleome chrysantha 48 Salvadora persica 104 Cleome droserifolia 49 Salvia spp. 105 Cometes abyssinica 50 Schouwia purpurea 106 Convolvulus spp. 51 Scrophularia spp. 107 Crataegus sinaica 52 Senecio flavus 108 Cucumis prophetarum 53 Senna italica 109 Diplotaxis acris 54 Silene spp. 110 Echinops spp. 55 Solanum nigrum 111 Ephedra spp. 56 Solenostemma arghel 112 Eremobium aegyptiacum 57 Stachys aegyptiaca 113 Erodium spp. 58 Tamarix nilotica 114 Euphorbia retusa 59 Tephrosia apollinea 115 Fagonia spp. 60 Teucrium spp. 116 Farsetia spp. 62 Tribulus spp. 117 Ficus spp. 63 Trichodesma spp. 118 Forsskaolea tenacissima 64 Trigonella spp. 119 Gymnarrhena micrantha 65 Verbascum sinuatum 120 Gymnocarpos decandrus 66 Zilla spinosa 121 Heliotropium spp. 67 Ziziphus spina-christi 122 Hyoscyamus spp. 68 Zygophyllum spp. 123 Indigofera arabica 69 Iphiona scabra 70 Kickxia spp. 71 Lavandula spp. 72

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Working List of Other Plants Growing in the Sinai Peninsula

Adonis dentata Boissiera squarrosa Cornulaca monacantha Adonis microcarpa Bolanthus hirsutus Coronilla scorpioides Aegilops bicornis Brachypodium distachyum Corynephorus divaricatus Aegilops crassa Brassica deserti Cotoneaster orbicularis Aeluropus lagopoides Brassica tournefortii Crepis aculeata Agathophora alopecuroides Bromusdanthoniae Crepis aspera Ajuga chamaepitys Bromus madritensis Crepis sancta Alcea sp Bromus rubens Cressa cretica Alcea striata Bromus scoparius Crotalaria aegyptiaca Althaea ludwigii Bromus sinaicus Crucianella ciliata Alyssum marginatum Bromus tectorum Crucianella membranacea Alyssum simplex Buglossoides tenuiflora Cucurbita pepo Amaranthus albus Bupleurum falcatum Cupressus sempervirens Amaranthus blitoides Bupleurum lancifolium Cuscuta palaestina Amaranthus graecizans Bupleurum semicompositum Cuscuta planiflora Amaranthus hybridus Bufonia multiceps Cutandia dichotoma Amaranthus palmeri Calendula arvensis Cutandia memphitica Amaranthus retroflexus Calligonum comosum Cydonia oblonga Amaranthus viridis Callipeltis aperta Cymbopogon schoenanthus Ambrosia maritima Callipeltis cuccularia Cynodon dactylon Ammi majus Campanula dulcis Cynomorium coccineum Ammochloa palaestina Caralluma europaea Cyperus conglomeratus Anarrhinum pubescens Caralluma sinaica Cyperus jeminicus Anastatica hierochuntica Carduncellus eriocephalus Cyperus laevigatus Andrachne aspera Carduus arabicus Cyperus rotundus Andrachne telephioides Carduus australis Danthoniopsis barbata Androcymbium gramineum Carduus getulus Daucus littoralis Anchusa aegyptiaca Carthamus persicus Delphinium peregrinum Anchusa milleri Carthamus tenuis Desmostachya bipinnata Anemone coronaria Carex distans Deverra tortuosus AnticharisSAMPLE glandulosa Carrichtera annua Deverra triradiata Anvillea garcinii Catapodium rigidum Dianthus sinaicus Arabidopsis kneuckeri Caylusea hexagyna Dianthus strictus Arabidopsis pumila Centropodia fragilis Dichanthium annulatum Arabis auricata Cerastium dichotomum Dichanthium foveolatum Arabis verna Ceratocephala falcata Dipcadi erythraeum Arenaria deflexa Ceterach officinarum Doellia bovei Argyrolobium arabicum Chaetosciadium trichospermum Echiochilon fruticosum Argyrolobium uniflorum Cheilanthes acrostica Echium angustifolium Aristida adscensionis Chenopodium album Echium rauwolfi Arundo donax Chenopodium ambrosoides Emex spinosa Asparagus stipularis Chenopodium murale Eminium spiculatum Asperugo procumbens Chenopodium vulvaria Enarthrocarpus strangulatus Asteriscus graveolens Chiliadenus iphionoides Epipactis veratrifolia Asteriscus hierochunticus Chiliadenus montanus Eremopoa persica Asterolinon linum-stellatum Chrysanthemum coronarium Eremopogon foveolatus Astoma seselifolium Clypeola jonthlaspi Erucaria hispanica Atractylis carduus Cocculus pendulus Erucaria pinnata Atractylis mernephtae Cotula cinerea Erucaria rostrata Atractylis phaeolepis Colchicum ritchii Eruca sativa Atraphaxis spinosa Colchicum schimperi Eryngium glomeratum Bassia arabica Colchicum tunicatum Equisetum ramosissimum Bassia eriophora Colutea istria Ferula sinaica Bassia indica Commicarpus helenae Filago desertorum Bassia muricata Commicarpus sinuatus Fimbristylis ferruginea Beta vulgaris Conyza bonariensis Foeniculum vulgare Biarum olivieri Conyza canadensis Frankenia hirsuta Bidens pilosa Conyza stricta Frankenia pulverulenta Biscutella didyma Corchorus oblitorius Fumana arabica

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Fumana thymifolia Juncus rigidus Minuartia meyeri Fumaria densiflora Juncus subulatus Minuartia picta Fumaria parviflora Juniperus phoenicea Moltkiopsis ciliata Gagea fibrosa Jurinea staehelinae Monsonia heliotropioides Gagea reticulata Koelpinia linearis Monsonia nivea Galium ceratopodum Krascheninnikovia ceratoides Morettia canescens Galium murale Lactuca orientalis Morettia parviflora Galium setaceum Lactuca serriola Morettia philaeana Galium sinaicum Lactuca undulata Moricandia nitens Galium spurium Lamarckia aurea Moricandia sinaica Gastrocotyle hispida Lappula sinaica Moringa peregrina Gomphocarpus sinaicus Lappula spinocarpos Muscari commutatum Globularia arabica Lasiopogon muscoides Nasturtiopsis coronopifolia Glossonema boveanum Lasiurus scindicus Neotorularia torulosa Guettarda elliptica Launaea angustifolia Nepeta septemcrenata Gundelia tournefortii Launaea capitata Neurada procumbens Gypsophila arabica Launaea fragilis Nicotiana spp Gypsophila capillaris Launaea mucronata Noaea mucronata Gypsophila viscosa Launaea nudicaulis Notoceras bicorne Halocnemum strobilaceum Launaea resedifolia Ogastemma pusillum Haloxylon persicum Launaea spinosa Oligomeris linifolia Haloxylon negevensis Leopoldia comosa Onobrychis crista-galli Haloxylon salicornica Leopoldia eburnea Onobrychis ptolemaica Haloxylon scoparia Leontice leontopetalum Onobrychis squarrosa Hammada elegans Leontodon laciniatus Ononis reclinata Haplophyllum poorei Leptadenia pyrotechnica Ononis serrata Haplophyllum tuberculatum Leptaleum filifolium Ononis sicula Hedypnois rhagadioloides Leysera leyseroides Opophytum forsskalii Helianthemum kahiricum Limoniastrum monopetalum Otostegia fruticosa Helianthemum ledifolium Lobularia arabica Pancratium parviflorum Helianthemum lippi Lobularia libyca Pancratium maritimum Helianthemum sancti-antonii Loeflingia hispanica Pancratium sickenbergeri Helianthemum sessiliflorum Lolium multiflorum Paronychia arabica HelianthemumSAMPLE stipulatum Lotus creticus Paronychia argentea Helianthemum ventosum Lotus halophilus Paronychia sinaica Helianthemum vesicarium Lotus hebranicus Paracaryum rugulosum Herniaria hemistemon Lotus glinoides Parapholis incurva Herniaria hirsuta Lotus lanuginosus Parietaria alsinifolia Hibiscus micranthus Lycoperiscon esculentum Pennisetum asperifolium Hippocrepis areolata Lygeum spartum Pennisetum ciliare Hippocrepis constricta Malcolmia africana Pennisetum divisum Hippocrepis multisiliquosa Malus domestica Pennisetum orientale Hippocrepis unisiliquosa Malva aegyptia Periploca aphylla Holosteum umbellatum Malva parviflora Phagnalon barbeyanum Hordeum murinum Malva neglecta Phagnalon nitidum Hormuzakia aggregata Malva sylvestris Phagnalon rupestre Hyparrhenia hirta Maresia nana Phagnalon sinaicum Hypecoum pendulum Matricaria aurea Phalaris minor Hypercium sinaicum Medicago laciniata Phalaris paradoxa Hyphaene thebaica Medicago marina Phyla nodiflora Ifloga rueppellii Medicago monspeliaca Pimpinella cretica Ifloga spicata Medicago polymorpha Piptatherum miliaceum Imperata cylindrica Medicago sativa Pistacia atlantica Inula viscosa Melica persica Pistacia khinjuk Isatis lusitanica Mesembryanthemum Plantago afra Isatis microcarpa crystallinum Plantago amplexicaulis Ixiolirion tataricum Mesembryanthemum forsskalii Plantago albicans Juncus acutus Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum Plantago ciliata Juncus bufonius Micromeria serbaliana Plantago coronopus Juncus inflexus Micromeria sinaica Plantago cylindrica Juncus punctorius Minuartia hybrida Plantago notata

Simpson Wandering through Wadis REFERENCES

Aly, D., & Khalil, R. (2011). Wildlife in South Sinai. Cairo: EU and G.O.S.S. al-Mufti, M. (2000). Flora of Nabq protected area. Cairo: Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency.

Bailey, C., & Danin, A. (1981). Bedouin plant utilization in the Sinai and the Negev. Economic Botany, 35(2), 145–162.

Batanouny, K.H. (Ed.). (2005). Encyclopaedia of wild medicinal plants in Egypt, Vol. 1. Cairo: Conservation and Sustainable Use of Medicinal Plants in Arid and Semi-arid Ecosystems in Egypt, Project of EEAA, GEF, and UNDP.

Batanouny, K.H. (Ed.). (2006). Encyclopaedia of wild medicinal plants in Egypt, Vol.2. Cairo: Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs, Egypt.

Danin, A. (ed.) 2006+, {continuously updated}, Flora of Israel online. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel. Published at http://flora.huji.ac.il/browse.asp

-----. (1978). Plant species diversity and ecological districts of the Sinai desert. Vegetatio, 36(2), 83-93.

Danin, A., Shmida, A., & Liston, A. (1985). Contributions to the flora of Sinai, III: Checklist of species collected and recorded by the Jerusalem team 1967 SAMPLE – 1982. Willdenowia, 15(1), 255-322. el-Hadidi, M., & Boulos, L. (1988). The street trees of Egypt. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press.

Flowers in Israel is a site that maintains a database with photographs and information about flora in the region. (http://www.flowersinisrael.com/).

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. (2005). Medicinal plants in north Africa. Retrieved from IUCN Database.

Kamal, W., Gazar, M., Zalat, S., & Gilbert, F. (2002). Flora of St. Katherine P rotectorate: Key to families and genera. Egyptian Journal of Biology, 4, 45 – 75.

Mahmoud, T. (2010). Desert plants of Egypt's Wadi El Gemal National Park. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press.

Moustafa, A., & Zaghloul, M. (1996). Environment and vegetation in the montane Saint Catherine area, south Sinai, Egypt. Journal of Arid Environments, 34, 331–349.

Simpson Wandering through Wadis Springuel, I. (2006). The desert garden: A practical guide. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press.

The Plant List is a site that maintains a working list of all known plant species. (http://www.theplantlist.org/ )

Wild Flowers of Israel is a site devoted to the study of wild plants in Israel and is aimed at the general public, available in Hebrew and English. (http://www.wildflowers.co.il/english/ )

Zahran, M.A., & Willis, A.J. (2009). The Vegetation of Egypt. Springer Science + Business Media B.V.

Zalat, S., & Gilbert, F. (2008). Gardens of a sacred landscape: Bedouin heritage and natural history in the high mountains of Sinai. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press.

Zalat, S., Gilbert, F., Fadel, H., El-Hawagry, M., Saleh,M., Kamel, S., & Gilbert,J. (2008). Biological explorations of Sinai: Flora and fauna of Wadi Isla and Hebran, St Katherine Proctecorate, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Natural SAMPLE History, 5, 6 – 15.

Simpson Wandering through Wadis About the Author

Bernadette Simpson moved to Cairo with her family in 1993. The following year she received her high school diploma - printed on papyrus paper - in the shadows of the Great Pyramid at Giza. Egypt has been her home ever since. Bernadette holds a Masters of Education degree, with a focus on language and literature, and has been teaching since 1999. She believes if you cannot find the book you are looking for on the shelves, then you should write it yourself! Bernadette wrote and published her first book, An ABC Escapade through Egypt, to fill a need in her classroom for English-language children’s books about modern day Egypt. After moving to Dahab and while working on the sequel, An ABC Safari through Sinai, Bernadette began researching the healing herbs of the desert. As her interest in the desert plants grew into a passion, so did her disappointment in not finding an available guidebook, so she began to organize her own research into this guide, Wandering through Wadis. She did indeed wander off for a while, but her desert plant research only enriched her knowledge of the Sinai and Bernadette is now continuing her ABC Safari through Sinai, whichSAMPLE she hopes to publish in the near future. Acknowledgements Many thanks to my husband, Nadim El Kotry, for his assistance with researching the Arabic names for the plants. To Eid El Atrash of Bedouin History Desert Safari, for his excellent guiding skills and for sharing his passion for the desert. And to my mother, Ginda Ayd Simpson, for her editing and continuous support.

Simpson Wandering through Wadis