Ruttya fruticosa Lindau

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In Omani studies: Miller & Morris (1988) wrote that: "This shrub with its striking glossy red flowers throughout the monsoon-affected mountain areas of Dhofar, growing especially luxuriantly in the steep wooded slopes and scarps of the many mountain watercourses and gullies. The flowers are among those which people, especially children, use to pull off and suck to extract the droplet of nectar at the base. Such flowers are called msisi, from the root mss, meaning 'to suck'. This was more than just a childish treat at a time when sugar was practically non-existent and other sweeteners (wild honey, date-syrup, sugar-cane and so on) were in short supply or expensive. Other sources of sugar, apart from honey, were mainly fruits and berries, such as the fruit of Commiphora gileadensis [J: firit skof], or of C. habessinica [J: firit okor], the fruit of Grewia mollis [J: akimbor gared], the fruit of Capparis ... cartilaginea [J: albelib], the fruit of Boscia arabica [J: ferhes sir] or the honey-dew produced by the Olea [J: dios]. The smooth slim twigs were used to make kohl sticks [J: makhal] for applying antimony to the eye to beutify it and to sharpen the eyesight, and wedge-shaped hair-divers [J: mxadd], with which women parted their hair into sections before plaiting it. This plant is among the group of important fodder plants of the post monsoon season [J: serb] called oxelot (meaning: 'the monsoon-mixture, collection'). One of this plants names muġelÍf comes from a root glf, meaning 'to strip the leaves off, though this name is more often given to the tree Blepharis dhofarensis. Ruttya fruticosa is more commonly given the rather charming name of tũr iyyel, that is 'dates for she-camels', referring to the shape and succulence of the flowers and the choiceness of the fodder the plant provides. It also called herum a'izog, or 'plant of the camel calves', because of its delicacy and sweetness. A whole group of plants which provide fodder and browse at this period - especially for camels and goats, which are forced by the weather to keep out of the rainy areas during the monsoon, but come into the mountains to feed once the monsoon clouds have lifted - are called muġelÍf, or gelubgel, or õxeloţ, among them being Ipomoea nil, Ormocarpum dhofarense, Blepharis dhofarensis, Plumbago zeylanica, Diplotaxis harra, Sonchus species, Launaea species, Lactuca species, Becium dhofarense, Pupalia lappacea, Bidens bidentata, Achyranthes aspera - all plants which produce large, tender and easily browsed leaves in the season following the three months of rain and mist. The flowers of Ruttya fruticosa are also an important bee forage". (Plants of Dhofar). In addition, Pickering & Patzelt (2008) mentioned that: "An important forage plant". (Ref. Field Guide to the Wild Plants of Oman; 2008).

*Ghazanfar, S. (2015). Flora of the Sultanate of Oman, vol.3: Loganiaceae – Asteraceae. Meise, National Botanic Garden of Belgium (Scripta Botanica Begica, Vol. 25). ISBN 9789082352511 ISSN 0779-2387. *https://en.wikipedia.org *Pickering, H. Patzelt, A. (2008). Field Guide to the Wild Plants of Oman. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Garden, Kew. ISBN 9781842461778. *Patzelt, A. (2015). Oman Plant Red Data Book. Published by Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman. Oman Botanic Garden Publication No. 1. ISBN 978-99969-50-10-0. *Miller, A., Morris, M. (1988). Plants of Dhofar, the Southern Region of Oman: Traditional, Economic, and Medicinal Uses. Published by Office of the Adviser for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman; ISBN 10: 0715708082 ISSN 13: 9780715708088. *POWO (2023). ""Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org