Hydnora arabica Bolin & Musselman

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Miller & Morris (1988) wrote that: "The shoots that appear above ground are called J: nexeror, 'beaks, nose' or, in the Mahri languages hayden, that is 'ears'. The whole shoot is edible, but the 'flower heads' are the part preferred. They have a strong ammoniac smell and taste rather like a very green cheese. Once the shoots have dried out and died back, the underground fruit swells, often to the size of a large potato. Once matured it becomes rather like a ripe fig inside, and is deliciously sweet. The whole root system was also used in other ways. It was dug up and then crushed and pounded to a rough paste which was used to treat a smelly, tainted or crushed leather milk skin. The paste was smeared all over the bag which was then rubbed, rolled and kneaded over a hard flat surface until every trace of dirt ... and smell had gone, and the washed skin was again sweet smelling and supple. This paste also acted as a dye, and was consequently also used to refresh and brighten the dark-red shade of tanned leather. The ground-down roots were used as well to dye and strengthen cotton material, especially cotton fibre fishing equipment. The paste was either rubbed directly onto the cotton material and left to permeate it then dry out, or the cotton equipment was lowered into a bubbling container of water to which the ground-down roots had been added and was left to simmer for a while and then to macerate in the cooling mixture until the desired depth of shade had been reached. This not only dyed the white cotton a dark red-brown that made it less visible in the sea, but also waxed and strengthened it, preserving it to a certain extent from the rotting action of the salt water. The dried out stems left on the surface after the plant had died back and once more retreated underground were also used as a dyeing agent in the same way, but dyed the fibre a much darker colour. At a pinch, the dried out black shoots could also be used to make a rather inferior black 'antimony' powder which was added to a limited quantity of the costly imported used to darken and beautify the eyes". (Ref. Plants of Dhofar). Richardson & Dorr (2003) stated that: "A variety of indigenous plant was used to coat the nets, and also strengthened and darkened them. Including the roots and stalks of Limonium axillare and Hydnora africana (syn.), and the new growth from Periploca aphylla. The dyeing of leather is a common practice in Southern Oman, with red tones being particularly favoured. Numerous plants are used as red or reddish-brown colouring agents, including the underbark from frankincense, acacia and fig trees, and the roots from Hydnora africana". (Ref. The Craft Heritage of Oman). Ghazanfar (2007) mentioned that: "The flowers and fruits are edible especially the fruits, which are sweet and regarded as a special treat by local inhabitants". (Ref. Flora of Oman, vol.2).

*Ghazanfar, S. (2007). Flora of the Sultanate of Oman, vol.2: Crassulaceae – Apiaceae. Meise, National Botanic Garden of Belgium (Scripta Botanica Begica, Vol. 36). ISBN 9789072619747 ISSN 0779-2387. *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. *Richardson, N. Dorr, M. (2003). The Craft Heritage of Oman; vol. 1. Published by Motivate publishing. ISBN 1-86063-1576. *https://en.wikipedia.org *Gledhill, D. (2008). The Names of Plants. Fourth Edition. Cambridge University Press, UK. ISBN 978-0-521-86645-3 ISSN 978-0-521-68553-5. *Bolin, J. Lupton, D. Musselman, L. 2018. Hydnora ­arabica (Aristolochiaceae), a new species from the Arabian Peninsula and a key to Hydnora. Phytotaxa 338 (1): 099–108. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.338.1.8. *Miller, A.G. & Cope, T.A. (1996). Flora of the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra 1: 1-586. Edinburgh university ... press. ISBN 0748604758.