Calligonum polygonoides

Calligonum polygonoides, locally known as Phog (Hindi: फोग), is a small shrub, found in Thar desert areas, usually 4 feet to 6 feet high but occasionally may reach even 10 feet in height with a girth of 1 to 2 ft. ^[1] This tree is also named orta in old Arabic poems. So much people agree the arabic origin of Aorta for the great human artery. It commonly grows on dry sandy soils and on sand dunes. It is very hardy and being capable of growing under adverse conditions of soil and moisture. It is frost hardy. It produces root suckers and is easily propagated by cutting and layering.

Distribution of the species

It is found from arid and semi-arid areas of Rajasthan state in India at the east to the Goravan Sands State Reservation in Armenia, Azerbaijan (Nakhichevan), Turkey (Aralykh, Igdir) at the North-West. Its distribution is shrinking very fast as the demand of its roots for charcoal is immense, as well as due overgrazing and sand mining (Tadevosyan, 2001)

Uses

Its roots are used to prepare charcoal to melt iron. Its flowers, known as Phogalo in Rajasthani language, are used to prepare rayata. ^[1]

Phogat gotra of Jats derives its name from this shrub due to their ancient association with the shrub.

Also it is a good food plant for cattle, and important habitat element for a number of species of semi desert wildlife.^[1]

Conservation status

It is an endangered plant species and has been included in Red Data Book of IUCN.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} L R Burdak (1982): Recent advances in desert afforestation, Dehradun, p.56
2. ^ Patrika News in Hindi

Further reading

• R N Kaul (1963): Need for afforestation in the arid zones of India, LA-YAARAN, Vol 13
• R C Ghosh (1977): Hand book on afforestation techniques, Dehradun.
• R K Gupta & Ishwar Prakasah (1975): Environmental analysis of the Thar Desert, Dehradun.
• L R Burdak (1982): Recent advances in desert afforestation, Dehradun, p. 56
• M L Fletcher (1956): Exotic trees. www.geocities.com/mlfletcher56
• T L Tadevosyan (2001): On the Ecology of the Joint weed-like Calligonum (Calligonum polygonoides L., Dicotyledones, Polygonaceae). Proceedings of republican youth scientific conference "The future of ecological science in Armenia",Yerevan, «Gitutiun», pp. 35-42. (In Russian)
• T L Tadevosyan (2007): The role of vegetation in microhabitat selection of syntopic lizards, Phrynocephalus persicus, Eremias pleskei and Eremias strauchi from Armenia. Amphibia-Reptilia 28 (3): 444-448. (available at [1])

[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]