Sinai peninsula

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mg2007
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 1:43 am
Location: Gadsden, Alabama, USA

Sinai peninsula

Post by mg2007 »

In 1982 I was working on my geology MS thesis, which involved the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. At that time I was not particularly interested in succulents; certainly, I did not see any in the almost totally barren mountainous area I was in. I only remember a plant with petunia - like blooms that my Egyptian companion, another geologist, pointed out to me; he called it "Sinai Drunk" and I surmise if ingested it either intoxicates or gives you hallucinations. In any case, I am curious about what I missed; does anyone know what succulents may be native to that area?
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Saxicola
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Location: Los Angeles area, California

Re: Sinai peninsula

Post by Saxicola »

Not sure of that area specifically, but the Sahara Desert and Arabian peninsula have surprisingly low numbers of succulents compared to other deserts in the world. With the Sinai in between those areas I'm guessing not a lot there. Now if you were to go a ways south from there to the mountainous southwestern corner of Yemen, or across to Somalia and Ethiopia you get quite a number of very interesting and very rare succulent species. The island of Socotra is also a succulent hot spot.
I'm now selling plants on Ebay. Check it out! Kyle's Plants
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GoanBahraini
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Joined: Thu Mar 14, 2013 6:42 am
Location: Bahrain

Re: Sinai peninsula

Post by GoanBahraini »

High salinity is only dissipated in the winter here in Bahrain. The 50 Celsius plus heat kills of most of the plants including the succulents, but in the winter you will be literally astonished at the aggressive growth of succulents especially after 1-2 rainshowers which at best we experience only 4 to 12 days in the entire year.
No rain ever falls in the June - August period I think the very clouds get evaporated nearly immediately. Succulents need a certain degree of stability too.
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mg2007
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 1:43 am
Location: Gadsden, Alabama, USA

Re: Sinai peninsula

Post by mg2007 »

Since posting the question, I have learned of a Euphorbia near St. Catherine's Monastery and named after it. I've never seen it for sale.
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