Zygophyllum coccineum
Family: Zygophyllaceae
What it is like
A herb or low shrub. It can grow 50 cm tall. It keeps growing from year to year. The stems have many branches. The leaves are twice divided. They are bright green. The leaflets are cylinder shaped and almost triangle shaped. The flowers are small and white. The petals are spoon shaped. The fruit is a capsule up to 1 cm long. It is cylinder shaped or has 5 angles. They occur singly in the axils of leaves. The seeds are oval and lumpy.
There are 50 Zygophyllum species. It is an unresolved name in The Plant List.
Where it is found
It is a Mediterranean climate plant. It grows in the desert in wadis. It can tolerate salty soils.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Arabia, Egypt, Mediterranean, Middle East, North Africa, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Seeds, spice