Rare plants in Nakhal
Published: 02:07 PM,Jul 12,2021 | EDITED : 06:07 PM,Jul 12,2021
Mountains, plains and plateaus, the diversity of natural resources, vegetation cover are found in all places around the Sultanate but not all of them contain different types of rare plants that constitute an environmental wealth. Willayat Nakhal is one of the richest areas in the Sultanate with these rare plants.
Youssef Al Qarshoubi, who is interested in the Omani plant field, said that there are some plants with rare properties found in the wilayat, pointing to the presence of Acacia nilotica trees in wadi al Sabbat, which are perennial trees where their fruits are used for tanning leather.
He also pointed out to the presence of the Pergularia tomentosa plant, which was used to remove hair from leather before tanning. It is considered one of the poisonous trees, as a white liquid similar to milk is extracted from it, indicating that some historical accounts mentioned that its liquid was used in ancient battles as a poison covering spears and arrows.
Chrozophora is also found in the wadi, the dusty tree that was used in the past in the manufacture of writing ink, which was extracted from its fruits. The fruits are pressed and a transparent liquid emerges from it that turns blackish-blue after a while.
In the agricultural lands in the Wilayat of Nakhal, the Verbascum plant spreads. It is one of the beautiful plants with its yellow flowers. Youssef adds that it is one of the strange habits of this plant that if it is hit with a stick, even a light blow, its flowers will fall off after about 30 seconds until it gives up all its flowers. Verbascum plant is called locally (mayta) and was used in the past to catch small fish from the wadi by scattering plant parts and then throwing them into the water so that the fish float on the surface or jump out of the water.
Antioch mentioned about the cat's eye plant (Anagallis arvensis) as (the whale intoxicant), which grows under the palm trees. it is strange that it closes its flowers when exposed to direct sunlight, and also closes them when rain approaches or the sky becomes overcast.
Al-Qarhoubi pointed out that the cat's eye plant is also called the soap plant because it produces a foam like soap if rubbed with water. in the past it was used for washing, indicating that Ibn Sina mentioned that it is an insect repellent.
One of the beautiful plants is the 'fern'. its leaves resemble palm fronds, as it is one of the ornamental plants that are grown indoors.
Yusuf explained that the arak tree (Salvadora persica) has an aromatic smell and is evergreen and bears heat and drought. It is cultivated in some countries to stabilize the sandy soil, and toothpicks are extracted from its branches, which are useful for oral and dental health. Its fruits are also known as kabath, which is similar to boot fruit in color and shape.
He also touched on the presence of hundreds of wild plants and flowers in the Wilayat of Nakhal, which are distributed in mountainous areas, wadis and fertile agricultural lands, which are a natural wealth that contributes to increasing the areas of vegetation cover and the diversity of its natural resources.
Youssef Al Qarshoubi, who is interested in the Omani plant field, said that there are some plants with rare properties found in the wilayat, pointing to the presence of Acacia nilotica trees in wadi al Sabbat, which are perennial trees where their fruits are used for tanning leather.
He also pointed out to the presence of the Pergularia tomentosa plant, which was used to remove hair from leather before tanning. It is considered one of the poisonous trees, as a white liquid similar to milk is extracted from it, indicating that some historical accounts mentioned that its liquid was used in ancient battles as a poison covering spears and arrows.
Chrozophora is also found in the wadi, the dusty tree that was used in the past in the manufacture of writing ink, which was extracted from its fruits. The fruits are pressed and a transparent liquid emerges from it that turns blackish-blue after a while.
In the agricultural lands in the Wilayat of Nakhal, the Verbascum plant spreads. It is one of the beautiful plants with its yellow flowers. Youssef adds that it is one of the strange habits of this plant that if it is hit with a stick, even a light blow, its flowers will fall off after about 30 seconds until it gives up all its flowers. Verbascum plant is called locally (mayta) and was used in the past to catch small fish from the wadi by scattering plant parts and then throwing them into the water so that the fish float on the surface or jump out of the water.
Antioch mentioned about the cat's eye plant (Anagallis arvensis) as (the whale intoxicant), which grows under the palm trees. it is strange that it closes its flowers when exposed to direct sunlight, and also closes them when rain approaches or the sky becomes overcast.
Al-Qarhoubi pointed out that the cat's eye plant is also called the soap plant because it produces a foam like soap if rubbed with water. in the past it was used for washing, indicating that Ibn Sina mentioned that it is an insect repellent.
One of the beautiful plants is the 'fern'. its leaves resemble palm fronds, as it is one of the ornamental plants that are grown indoors.
Yusuf explained that the arak tree (Salvadora persica) has an aromatic smell and is evergreen and bears heat and drought. It is cultivated in some countries to stabilize the sandy soil, and toothpicks are extracted from its branches, which are useful for oral and dental health. Its fruits are also known as kabath, which is similar to boot fruit in color and shape.
He also touched on the presence of hundreds of wild plants and flowers in the Wilayat of Nakhal, which are distributed in mountainous areas, wadis and fertile agricultural lands, which are a natural wealth that contributes to increasing the areas of vegetation cover and the diversity of its natural resources.