15 July 2018

Kleinia odora - Abha

Whilst birding the Abha area I came across some Kleinia odora. This plant is found in Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen and Saudi Arabia and is distinguished by having succulent stems or leaves. It is common in low dry hills along coastal plains where it forms large clumps bearing dense clusters of cream or whitish flowers on the tips of the pencil-like stems. Kleinia odorais a succulent herb that grows up to one metre tall. The stems of the plant are terete, jointed, and are marked with dark lines that run from the bases of the leaves. The leaves are fleshy and 10–35 millimetres in length and the flowers are a pale yellow.
Kleinia odora