Muscat: Botanists and nature lovers in the sultanate have been agog with excitement over the massive blossoming of a rare purple flower that has enlivened the arid landscapes of the Western Hajar mountains in recent days.
Clusters of the flower, scientifically known as boerhavia elegans but locally called "Hadamdam", have been spotted mushrooming along the main carriageway linking the provinces of Nakhl and Wadi Al Maawil, just northwest of Muscat.
Local botanist Sulaiman Al Ghaithi was quoted by Oman News Agency as saying that the purple blossoms were a rare occurrence in these hilly parts, and were more suited to coastal habitats.
He attributed the sudden, profuse growth of the boerhavia elegans to recent showers over the Western Hajar mountains.
The bushy plant, with its slender stems growing almost a metre tall, dots the rocky landscape with striking bursts of purple.
It grows either amid grassy patches or in the shade of large trees. The plant withers away within weeks and is unlikely to reappear for a couple of years.
