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 and nitrogen.

Calligonum comosum

It is native to the Sahara, Socotra, the Arabian Peninsula, and in the Middle East as far east as Pakistan and the Rajasthan desert in western India.

Calligonum comosum

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

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