Felty Germander

The Felty Germander is an aromatic and wild green tree growing in the regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is found in mountains, valleys, and sandy soils where water flows. It can grow in dry areas. It is used in traditional medicine in the Kingdom.

The felty germander is a perennial tree. Its height is about forty cm. It features long leaves, ranging from eight to thirty-five mm in length and three to eight mm in width. It bears white flowers, clustered in an apical inflorescence. It has a piliferous calyx. The diameter of the inflorescence ranges between twelve and fifteen mm. The tree is grazed by camels and other livestock.

The felty germander is used in traditional medicine to treat several diseases and illnesses. For instance, it is used to expel kidney and ureteral stones and treat malaria, diabetes, and abdominal pain. Bedouins used to smoke its leaves to treat rheumatism. It is also used to make a steam bath to treat fever and runny nose. It is also used to rinse for gout. Some add the aromatic leaves of the felty germander to tea, thus granting it a distinctive taste. This type of tea is drunk as an appetizer. It also helps release substances from the internal glands. Dried felty germander is used to repel insects from leather weapon sheaths.