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Limonium axillare (Forssk.) Kuntze

Synonyms

Eurychiton adensis, Statice axillaris

Common names

Qataf, Sea Lavender, shelail

AI-generated Description

Limonium axillare, also known as Sea Lavender, is a perennial herb native to the Mediterranean region. In Qatar, it has been found growing in coastal areas, particularly on sandy and rocky shores, where it thrives in saline environments. Local studies have reported its presence in various locations, including beaches, salt marshes, and sabkhas (salt flats). The plant's ability to tolerate high salinity levels makes it well-suited to Qatar's arid coastal ecosystems. Its flowers are typically purple or pink, blooming from March to May, and are an important food source for local pollinators.

Flowers of Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) in Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, February 19, 2010

Blooming Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) in Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, March 1, 2010

Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) in Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, March 1, 2010

Blooming Sea Lavender (Limonium axillare, local name Qetaif) in sands of Jazirat Umm Tays, barrier island at northern tip of Qatar, east from Ruwais, March 24, 2012
Al Shamal Rd, Al Ruwais, Qatar

Flowers of Sea Lavender (Limonium axillare, local name Qetaif) in sands of Jazirat Umm Tays, barrier island at northern tip of Qatar, east from Ruwais, March 24, 2012
Al Shamal Rd, Al Ruwais, Qatar

Sea Lavender (Limonium axillare, Statice axillaris, local names qataf, shelail) growing in silt in area of Ras Laffan farms. Northern Qatar, February 28, 2014
Al Shamal Road, Qatar

Dry flower bracts of Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) on Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, March 7, 2014
Street 44, Qatar

Blooming Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) on Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, March 7, 2014
Street 44, Qatar

Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) on a beach of Umm Tays Island in Madinat Al Shamal area. Qatar, March 14, 2014
Madinat Al Shamal - Al Gharya Road, Qatar

Large plant of Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) on a beach of Umm Tays Island in Madinat Al Shamal area. Qatar, March 14, 2014
Madinat Al Shamal - Al Gharya Road, Qatar

Bushes of Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) on a beach of Umm Tays Island in Madinat Al Shamal area. Qatar, March 14, 2014
Madinat Al Shamal - Al Gharya Road, Qatar

Blooming Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) on a beach of Umm Tays Island in Madinat Al Shamal area. Qatar, March 14, 2014
Madinat Al Shamal - Al Gharya Road, Qatar

Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) with flowers on a beach of Umm Tays Island in Madinat Al Shamal area. Qatar, March 14, 2014
Madinat Al Shamal - Al Gharya Road, Qatar

Seedling of sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) on rocky ridge of Jebel Fuwairit. Northern Qatar, December 12, 2014
Fuwyrit Beach Road, Qatar

Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) on rocky ridge of Jebel Fuwairit. Qatar, January 31, 2015
Fuwyrit Beach Road, Qatar

Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) with ants burrow on Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, April 24, 2015
Rose area Road, Qatar

Sea Lavender (Limonium axillare, local name Qetaif) in area of Ras Laffan farms. Northern Qatar, March 12, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Blooming Sea Lavender (Limonium axillare, local name Qetaif) in area of Ras Laffan farms. Northern Qatar, March 12, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Sea Lavender (Limonium axillare, local name Qetaif) in a depression in area of Ras Laffan farms. Northern Qatar, March 12, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Flowers of Sea Lavender (Limonium axillare, local name Qetaif) in area of Ras Laffan farms. Northern Qatar, March 12, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Purple flowers of Sea Lavender (Limonium axillare, local name Qetaif) taken from area of Ras Laffan farms. Northern Qatar, March 12, 2016

Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) near Jabal Al Jassasiya, on north-eastern coast. Qatar, March 26, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Blooming sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) near a rocky ridge in Jabal Al Jassasiya, on north-eastern coast. Qatar, March 26, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

"Bonsai" form of sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) overrun by a car near a rocky ridge in Jabal Al Jassasiya, on north-eastern coast. Qatar, March 26, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Flowers of sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) near a rocky ridge in Jabal Al Jassasiya, on north-eastern coast. Qatar, March 26, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) in bloom near a rocky ridge in Jabal Al Jassasiya, on north-eastern coast. Qatar, March 26, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Plant of sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) near a rocky ridge in Jabal Al Jassasiya, on north-eastern coast. Qatar, March 26, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Plant of sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) growing on limestone near a rocky ridge in Jabal Al Jassasiya, on north-eastern coast. Qatar, March 26, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

White flower bracts of sea lavender (Qetaif, Limonium axillare) on Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, April 2, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Sea lavender (Limonium axillare, local name Qetaif) in area of Ras Laffan Farms. Northern Qatar, April 16, 2016
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Sea lavender (Limonium axillare) on a cemetery in old fishing village (ghost town) of Al Ghariyah on north-eastern coast, Ash Shamal area. Qatar, June 17, 2016
Unnamed Road, Al Ghārīyah, Qatar

AI-generated summary of observations

The plant Limonium axillare, also known as Sea Lavender or Qetaif, was observed in various locations in Qatar from 2010 to 2016. The observations were made in northern Qatar, particularly in areas such as Purple Island, Jazirat Umm Tays, Ras Laffan farms, and Jabal Al Jassasiya. The plant was found growing in different environments, including sandy beaches, rocky ridges, and limestone areas. It was observed in various stages of growth, from seedlings to mature plants with flowers. The flowers were typically purple, but some white flower bracts were also noted. The observations suggest that Sea Lavender is a common and widespread species in northern Qatar, able to thrive in different habitats and conditions. The plant's presence was documented throughout the year, with peak blooming observed in March and April.

Links

• Flora of Qatar.
• Unknown plants or plants without names.
• Duplicate and extra pictures of plants.
• Earlier version of collection of plants.
• Other collections of pictures from Qatar: Lizards of Qatar, Cats of Qatar, Camels of Qatar, and Fish of Qatar.
• Picture archives.
• Home page of A. Sergeev.

Outside links

• Limonium axillare from www.catalogueoflife.org
• Ekhlas M. M. Abdel Bary, The Flora of Qatar, Volume I: The Dicotyledons. Doha 2012
• Flora of Qatar, Volume II: The Monocotyledons
• Illustrated Checklist of the Flora of Qatar. John Norton et al. 2009
• Qatar eNature. Flora
• Ali Al-Rawi, Flowering plants of Kuwait, 1985
• Plants of Kuwait
• Flora of Saudi Arabia, Al-Qassim Region
• Flora of Eastern Saudi Arabia by Rain and Dust at Flickr
• Plants of South-Western Morocco
• Pictures from Qatar (Flickr/cpmkutty)
• Arabian plants by Gary Brown
• Flora of Israel

How the web page was created

• A list of plants with their common names was written using online sources and books.
• Web pages were written by a program consisting of several scripts.
• Full names, synonyms, and classification of plants were found online from catalogueoflife.org and theplantlist.org using a script.
• Pictures of plants were selected from a database using a script.
• This web page was written using a script.

Acknowledgements

QNHG (Qatar Natural History Group) and associated people, for a possibility to participate in their field excursions and to learn about local nature.