Calligonum polygonoides
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''Calligonum polygonoides'', locally known as ''phog'' ( hi, फोग), is a small shrub found in
Thar desert The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent, Subcontinent that covers an area of and forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan. It is the world's Li ...
areas, usually 4 feet to 6 feet high but occasionally may reach even 10 feet in height with a girth of 1 to 2 ft.L R Burdak (1982): Recent advances in desert afforestation, Dehradun, p.56 This plant is referred to as ''orta'' in old
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
poetry. It commonly grows on dry
sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...
y
soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...
s and on
sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...
. It is very hardy and being capable of growing under adverse conditions of soil and moisture. It is
frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
hardy. It produces root suckers and is easily propagated by cutting and layering.


Uses

Its charcoal is used to melt iron. Its flowers, known as ''phogalo'' in
Rajasthani Rajasthani may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Rajasthan, a state of India * Rajasthani languages, a group of languages spoken there * Rajasthani people, the native inhabitants of the region * Rajasthani architecture * Rajasthani art ...
, are used to prepare raita. The plant is fed to cattle. It is an important part of the habitat for semi-desert wildlife.


References


Further reading

*Kaul, R. N. (1963). Need for afforestation in the arid zones of India. La-Yaaran'' vol 13. *Ghosh, R. C. (1977). Hand Book on Afforestation Techniques. Dehradun. *Gupta, R. K. & I. Prakasah. (1975). Environmental Analysis of the Thar Desert. Dehradun. *Tadevosyan, T. L. (2001). On the ecology of the joint weed-like calligonum (''Calligonum polygonoides'' L., Dicotyledones, Polygonaceae). Proceedings of Republican Youth Scientific Conference: The Future of Ecological Science in Armenia. Yerevan. pp. 35-42. (In Russian) *Tadevosyan, T. L. (2007)
The role of vegetation in microhabitat selection of syntopic lizards, ''Phrynocephalus persicus'', ''Eremias pleskei'' and ''Eremias strauchi'' from Armenia.
''Amphibia-Reptilia'' 28(3) 444-48. {{Taxonbar, from=Q3635306 polygonoides Flora of Pakistan Flora of Armenia Flora of Azerbaijan Flora of Rajasthan Flora of the Thar Desert Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus