01 August 2017

Eyelash Plant Blepharis ciliaris - Sabya

Whilst birding the Sabya area in July I came across a number of Eyelash Plant Blepharis ciliaris. The plants flowers were attractive to a number of butterfly species. The plant is indigenous to Saudi Arabia and has a common name naghi or shawk al thub and it is a small, thorny, fast-growing perennial herb. The branches are prostrate to the ground, and the whole plant reaches a maximum height of 30 centimetres. Each branch is completely covered with thorny, silver-green leaves. They have a taproot and grow in stony gravel deserts. In Arabia, it is also used as a medical plant. The woody parts of the plant are burned and mixed with antimony to make a black powder, which is applied to the eyes as a cosmetic.
Eyelash Plant Blepharis ciliaris

Eyelash Plant Blepharis ciliaris