Of the less common but particularly striking plants may be mentioned Ochradenus 

 baccatus, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Aerva javanica, Rumex vesicarius and Calligonum 

 comosum, and the two parasites Cistanche lutea and Cynomorium coccineum. Small in- 

 dividuals of the date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, are numerous in the sandier deserts, 

 but it is difficxilt to determine their status. 



The lack of endemism and the high proportion of widely distributed species in the 

 present flora of Bahrain suggests that it is a relatively new flora, in the sense that it 

 has not long been established in the islands, and this is of interest because it accords 

 with the impression gained from other sources also, such as the archaeological, that the 

 present state of the islands may be of comparatively recent origin. This again impinges 

 on the much wider problem of the age and history of the North African- Arabian desert 

 as a whole, which is not only one of the most fascinating questions of palaeogeography 

 but also one to which a satisfactory answer might be of the greatest significance in 

 that task of raising or restoring the productivity of the world's desert areas which is 

 such a pressing urgency of our time. 



The foregoing account of the Bahrain Islands and their desert vegetation has been 

 prepared from material and specimens collected by the writer during a visit to the is- 

 lands early in 1950. His thank are due to the Royal Society for the generous grant which 

 made his visit possible, and he would also express his gratitude for the welcome and 

 help received from His Highness Shaikh Sulman; his Adviser, Sir Charles Belgrave; from 

 Sir Rupert Hay and other representatives of the British Government ; and from Mr E.A, 

 Skinner and others of the Bahrain Petroleum Company. For the identifications of most 

 of the plants mentioned he is indebted to Mr B.L. Burtt, late of the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens, Kew. 



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