Wildflowers of Central and Eastern Saudi Arabia

butterfly that migrates across the whole of the Arabian Peninsula.

The butterflies normally arrive in eastern Saudi Arabia during

springtime, after rainfall. They show a striking iridescent blue

flash in their active flight and feeding. I approached a female

on an overcast day and managed to capture some treasured images

during its feeding on the tiny white flowers of Heliotropium bacciferum.

Interestingly, there is also a distinct sub-species of Blue Pansy

that is endemic to the oases of eastern Arabia (Al Hasa, Qatif,

with attractive small flowers in varying shades of pink to purple.

This widely distributed plant is of the Forget-me-not family,

even occurring in the northern and western Rubí al-Khali: the

largest sand desert in the world, covering an area more than twice

the size of Britain.

Another attractive plant for photographers is Bladder Dock Rumex

vesicarius, which provides splashes of red color in wadis, on

hillsides and roadside margins. The Bedouin use its leaves, which

have a lemony taste, in salads. Horwoodia dicksoniae is an Arabian

endemic plant that is generally more common on the northeastern

plains, especially west of Hafr Al Batin. The plant has pretty

pinkish-purple flowers and it was named after Mrs. Violet Dickson,

a prominent Arabian field botanist. A beautiful member of the

lily family Gagea reticulata occurs on sandy hillsides in the

north and west. This plant has eye-catching, star-shaped yellow

flowers.

To the north, even by the roadside, there were many wild flowers,

especially on the sandy bunds that help to retain rainwater within

the pivot-irrigated fields. Here, I photographed Anthemis melampodina

and Senecio glaucus. The Anthemis is very similar to the Ox-eye

daisy, a familiar plant throughout Europe. The Senecio has conspicuous

bright yellow-gold flowers and is often the dominant plant found

on islands in the Arabian Gulf.

Seeing the great variety and relative abundance of flowering plants

to be found in the east and central parts of the Kingdom has been

truly delightful. I look forward to more wet seasons in which

I can enjoy the fascinating botany of Saudi Arabia.