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17 March 2017

Horwoodia dicksoniae – Dibdibah Plains

Whilst looking for lars in the Dibdibah palins of northern Saudi Arabia I found a very strongly scented plant growing on the sand all on its own. I had no idea what it was so asked Irene Linning an expert in Arabian plants who told me it was probably Horwoodia dicksoniae an annual herb with pinnately lobed leaves, up to 40 centimetres high. Leaves ovate to oblong. Flowers in terminal racemes, strongly fragrant, petals purple or violet. Silicles orbicular, glabrous and glossy when mature. They grow on stable sandy to silty soils often overlying hard rock plains. They occur mainly in the northwest of the Eastern Province. I thanks Irene for her help with the identification of this plant.
Horwoodia dicksoniae