Whilst birding the Sabya area in July I came
across a number of Eyelash Plant Blepharis
ciliaris. The plants flowers were attractive to a number of butterfly
species. The plant is indigenous to Saudi Arabia and has a common name naghi or
shawk al thub and it is a small, thorny, fast-growing perennial herb. The
branches are prostrate to the ground, and the whole plant reaches a maximum
height of 30 centimetres. Each branch is completely covered with thorny,
silver-green leaves. They have a taproot and grow in stony gravel deserts. In
Arabia, it is also used as a medical plant. The woody parts of the plant are
burned and mixed with antimony to make a black powder, which is applied to the
eyes as a cosmetic.
