Rhazya stricta Decne
6. Rhazya Decne .
Shrubs with alternate , entire leaves . Flowers in dense terminal cymes , 5 - merous ; calyx 5 - lobed , much smaller than the 5 - lobed corolla ; stamens 5 , epipetalous . Gynaecium bicarpellary syncarpous . Fruit capsular , narrow , erect , follicle - like .
Of its 2 species , it is represented by one widespread species in Saudi Arabia .
1. Rhazya stricta Decne . , in Ann . Sc . Nat . ser . II , iv : 80 ( 1835 ) . Plate Apocyn . 6 .
Arabic Name : Harmal
Jes Much branched dark green , glabrous shrub up to c . 1 m tall . Leaves petiolate to subsessile , narrow - oblong to elliptical , up to 10 x 2 cm , entire , acute . Flowers white in dense terminal cymes . Calyx 5 - lobed , 2-3 mm long . Corolla white brownish to bluish on the outside , up to c . 15 mm long ; lobes obovate , obtuse , mucronate . Follicular capsules erect , up to 10 cm long , 4 mm wide,terete to somewhat compressed seeds .
Saudi Arabia : Widespread .
Distribution SW Asia .
Note : Considered as a medicinal plant . Avoided by livestock and therefore increaser in degraded range lands . Its thick stands in range areas indicate severe degradation of the rangelands .
. Rhazya Decne
. Shrubs with alternate , entire leaves . Flowers in dense terminal cymes , 5 - merous ; calyx 5 - lobed , much smaller than the 5 - lobed corolla ; stamens 5 , epipetalous . Gynaecium bicarpellary syncarpous . Fruit capsular , narrow , erect , follicle - like .
Of its 2 species , it is represented by one widespread species in Saudi Arabia .
1. Rhazya stricta Decne . , in Ann . Sc . Nat . ser . II , iv : 80 ( 1835 ) . Plate Apocyn . 6 .
Arabic Name : Harmal
Jes Much branched dark green , glabrous shrub up to c . 1 m tall . Leaves petiolate to subsessile , narrow - oblong to elliptical , up to 10 x 2 cm , entire , acute . Flowers white in dense terminal cymes . Calyx 5 - lobed , 2-3 mm long . Corolla white brownish to bluish on the outside , up to c . 15 mm long ; lobes obovate , obtuse , mucronate . Follicular capsules erect , up to 10 cm long , 4 mm wide , terete to somewhat compressed seeds
Saudi Arabia : Widespread.
. Distribution SW Asia.
Note : Considered as a medicinal plant . Avoided by livestock and therefore increaser in degraded range lands . Its thick stands in range areas indicate severe degradation of the rangelands .