Boundless, sun-parched and barren spaces with mountains made of sand that change shape in the wind. Deserts sometimes conceal the unexpected: subterranean waters flowing deep and invisible to the eye; reptiles, insects and butterflies that along with shrubs and small trees stubbornly survive in prohibitive conditions. Most of the plants have small, waxy leaves and tiny flowers to avoid the drying effects of the sun’s rays to the maximum. Some trees and shrubs have natural defences to discourage animals from feeding on their foliage; these may be physical deterrents such as the sharp thorns of trees in the Acacia genus, or chemical ones, substances that are toxic to animals such as the leaves of the Calotropis procera which release a harmful milky sap when cut.
A thorny perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Acanthaceae family that grows to a height of 30 centimetres. The pulverized roots serve to treat eye inflammations and the leaves and seeds have anti-inflammatory and anti-toxic properties.
An evergreen shrub that plays a significant role in improving soil fertility. Although, when snapped, the plant produces a milky sap that is harmful to animals, for centuries it has been known and used to treat numerous complaints such as high fevers, infected wounds and snake bites.
Commonly called the Desert Hyacinth, this produces splendid bright yellow flowers in pyramid form and grows to a height of one metre. Having no leaves, the Desert Hyacinth cannot produce chlorophyll, an essential, sun-reliant nutrient. As a result, it lives as a parasite attached to a host plant, from which it draws the nutrition needed for survival.
A perennial and densely ramified shrub that flowers from February to May. Its name – from the Greek hélios = sun and tropos = turn – derives from the plant’s natural tendency to turn towards the sun, a characteristic conveyed by its Middle English name Turnsole.
A member of the Borraginaceae family, this plant has a huge variety of leaf-shapes, from which emerge small sky-blue flowers. Its ideal habitats are rocks, limestone hills and stony river or wadi beds.
A perennial non-aromatic herbaceous plant that grows to a height of 30 centimetres. Standing erect and ramified, its single flowers have a distinctive labiate form and open in April or May.
Lucia Impelluso
