Milkvetch Plant

Milkvetch Plant (al-Qattad) is a tree belonging to the Fabaceae family. It has two types: al-Qattad al-A'dham, scientifically known as Acacia hamulosa, and al-Qattad al-Asghar, scientifically known as Astragalus spinosus. This plant grows in the mountains of Harrat al-Sarat and Hejaz in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Al-Qattad al-A'dham is spread across the mountains of Harrat al-Sarat and Hejaz, growing on the slopes and valley bottoms near the slopes, at elevations ranging from three hundred m to nine hundred m. It reaches a height of 1.5 m to 2.5 m above ground level and has many stems. Its small branches appear in a dusty white color, and its thorns are difficult to remove once they cling to a person's skin or clothes. It is used in proverbs such as "Akhashano Shawkan min al-Qattad" (rougher to touch than the thorns of al-Qattad) and "Ashaatho min Qattadah" (more disheveled than Qattadah. In Juhaynah mountains, it is called al-Aawss.

Unlike al-Qattad al-A'dham, al-Qattad al-Asghar is a small, thorny, perennial shrub. It grows widely in the bottoms of valleys and deserts, reaching elevations of up to 2,100 m. It exhibits a decrease in size at higher elevations, commonly reaching heights between thirty and seventy m. It has many slender stems covered with long, dense white thorns, which are, in fact, small branches. Camels feed on this plant, and it turns into large, sharp thorns when it dries. Its leaves are small, elongated, dusty green, and slightly oval. Its flowers are white and butterfly-shaped.