Suwwad

Distribution

Its main occurrence is in the Near Eastern countries east of the Mediterranean Sea, from northern Libya eastwards to Iraq, the southern half of Iran, southern Afghanistan, to Pakistani Baluchistan, and southwards to the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen and the Dhofar region of Oman. Around the Mediterranean it occurs in Libya, Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Syria, perhaps also Lebanon. It occurs in Qatar and in the United Arab Emirates. It is particularly common in salt-affected regions of southern Iran.

There is a single specimen sheet in the Naturalis herbarium determined as this species which was said to be collected in Ethiopia. There are likewise two specimens collected in the estuary of the Jubba River in Somalia, of which at least one was said to unequivocally belong to this species in the early 1990s. Plants in Djibouti and further along the Red Sea coast were identified as this species, but are a different colour and have different fruit, and may belong to another species. Neither Djibouti nor Somalia are recognised as part of the range in the "African Plants Database". This source, as well as Freitag in 2001, state it is native to Cyprus, but this is not recognised in the 2011 treatment in the "EUR+MED flora project". The plant has also appeared in parts of southern Australia where it may have naturalized. Freitag states it occurs in northern Sudan, but this is not corroborated by the "African Plants Database".

Habitat

In Africa it grows at low altitudes near sea level, in a habitat of coastal bushland dominated by dwarf shrubs and "Suaeda" species in general. In Pakistan it has been recorded from sea level to 1,000 meters in altitude, exceptionally 1,800 meters. The species prefers usually saline areas which become temporarily flooded and then dry. It is a species which prefers somewhat to heavy disturbance to the environment, whether natural or anthropogenic. In Pakistan it has been found to grow in rather different plant communities and has been seen in various types of salt-marshes, along ditches and even sometimes as a weed in irrigated gardens and agricultural fields. It flowers in Pakistan from September to October.