Plants native to Western Sahara

We document 226 of the 371 species Kew’s World Checklist records as native to Western Sahara. Native means native: introduced, extinct and doubtful records are excluded, so this is where these plants are from, not everywhere they now grow.

Documented 226 Native, per Kew 371 Coverage 61% TDWG WSA

Best documented by photographic coverage

Every documented species 226 native to Western Sahara

SpeciesAuthorityFamily Photographs
Acanthorrhinum ramosissimum (Coss. & Durieu) Rothm. Plantaginaceae 8
Achyranthes aspera L. Amaranthaceae 8
Aeluropus lagopoides (L.) Thwaites Poaceae 8
Aerva javanica (Burm.f.) Juss. ex Schult. Amaranthaceae 8
Afrosalsola divaricata (Masson ex Link) Akhani Chenopodiaceae 8
Aizoon canariense L. Aizoaceae 8
Ajuga iva (L.) Schreb. Lamiaceae 8
Anabasis articulata (Forssk.) Moq. Chenopodiaceae 8
Anastatica hierochuntica L. Brassicaceae 8
Andrachne telephioides L. Phyllanthaceae 8
Anthericum baeticum (Boiss.) Boiss. Asparagaceae 8
Aristida adscensionis L. Poaceae 8
Artemisia absinthium L. Asteraceae 8
Artemisia annua L. Asteraceae 8
Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. Asphodelaceae 8
Astragalus boeticus L. Fabaceae 8
Astydamia latifolia (L.f.) Baill. Apiaceae 8
Atriplex glauca L. Chenopodiaceae 8
Atriplex halimus L. Chenopodiaceae 8
Avena barbata Pott ex Link Poaceae 8
Bergia ammannioides Roxb. Elatinaceae 8
Biserrula pelecinus L. Fabaceae 8
Boerhavia repens L. Nyctaginaceae 8
Bolboschoenus glaucus (Lam.) S.G.Sm. Cyperaceae 8
Bothriochloa ischaemum (L.) Keng Poaceae 8
Bromus lanceolatus Roth Poaceae 8
Bromus rigidus Roth Poaceae 8
Bromus rubens L. Poaceae 8
Cakile maritima Scop. Brassicaceae 8
Capparis decidua (Forssk.) Edgew. Capparaceae 8
Carrichtera annua (L.) DC. Brassicaceae 8
Caylusea hexagyna (Forssk.) M.L.Green Resedaceae 8
Cenchrus ciliaris L. Poaceae 8
Chenopodiastrum murale (L.) S.Fuentes, Uotila & Borsch Chenopodiaceae 8
Cichorium pumilum Jacq. Asteraceae 8
Cistanche phelypaea (L.) Cout. Orobanchaceae 8
Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. Cucurbitaceae 8
Cleome amblyocarpa Barratte & Murb. Cleomaceae 8
Colchicum gramineum (Cav.) J.C.Manning & Vinn. Colchicaceae 8
Convolvulus althaeoides L. Convolvulaceae 8
Cornulaca monacantha Delile Chenopodiaceae 8
Coronilla scorpioides (L.) W.D.J.Koch Fabaceae 8
Crassula alata A.Berger Crassulaceae 8
Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch. Cymodoceaceae 8
Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. Poaceae 8
Cynomorium coccineum L. Cynomoriaceae 8
Cyperus capitatus Vand. Cyperaceae 8
Cyperus conglomeratus Rottb. Cyperaceae 8
Cyperus laevigatus L. Cyperaceae 8
Cyperus longus L. Cyperaceae 8
Cyperus rotundus L. Cyperaceae 8
Daucus pumilus Ball Apiaceae 8
Deverra scoparia Coss. & Durieu Apiaceae 8
Dipcadi serotinum (L.) Medik. Asparagaceae 8
Diplachne fusca (L.) P.Beauv. Poaceae 8
Echinochloa colona (L.) Link Poaceae 8
Echinops spinosissimus Turra Asteraceae 8
Emex spinosa (L.) Campd. Polygonaceae 8
Enneapogon desvauxii P.Beauv. Poaceae 8
Enneapogon scaber Lehm. Poaceae 8
Ephedra altissima Desf. Ephedraceae 8
Ephedra fragilis Desf. Ephedraceae 8
Equisetum ramosissimum Desf. Equisetaceae 8
Eragrostis barrelieri Daveau Poaceae 8
Erodium chium Willd. Geraniaceae 8
Erodium laciniatum (Cav.) Willd. Geraniaceae 8
Erodium malacoides (L.) L'Hér. Geraniaceae 8
Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. Brassicaceae 8
Euphorbia balsamifera Aiton Euphorbiaceae 8
Euphorbia granulata Forssk. Euphorbiaceae 8
Euphorbia officinarum L. Euphorbiaceae 8
Euphorbia paralias L. Euphorbiaceae 8
Euphorbia regis-jubae Webb & Berthel. Euphorbiaceae 8
Faidherbia albida (Delile) A.Chev. Fabaceae 8
Farsetia aegyptia Turra Brassicaceae 8
Forsskaolea tenacissima L. Urticaceae 8
Frankenia corymbosa Desf. Frankeniaceae 8
Frankenia hirsuta L. Frankeniaceae 8
Geropogon hybridus (L.) Sch.Bip. Asteraceae 8
Grewia tenax (Forssk.) Fiori Malvaceae 8
Gymnosporia senegalensis (Lam.) Loes. Celastraceae 8
Helianthemum canariense (Jacq.) Pers. Cistaceae 8
Herniaria hirsuta L. Caryophyllaceae 8
Hyoscyamus muticus L. Solanaceae 8
Hyparrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf Poaceae 8
Juncus acutus L. Juncaceae 8
Juncus rigidus Desf. Juncaceae 8
Lamarckia aurea (L.) Moench Poaceae 8
Lavandula coronopifolia Poir. Lamiaceae 8
Lavandula multifida L. Lamiaceae 8
Lemna gibba L. Araceae 8
Limonium lobatum (L.f.) Chaz. Plumbaginaceae 8
Limonium sinuatum (L.) Mill. Plumbaginaceae 8
Limonium tuberculatum (Boiss.) Kuntze Plumbaginaceae 8
Linaria amethystea (Vent.) Hoffmanns. & Link Plantaginaceae 8
Linum strictum L. Linaceae 8
Lobularia canariensis (DC.) L.Borgen Brassicaceae 8
Lolium multiflorum Lam. Poaceae 8
Lolium rigidum Gaudin Poaceae 8
Lotus glinoides Delile Fabaceae 8
Lycium shawii Roem. & Schult. Solanaceae 8
Lygeum spartum Loefl. ex L. Poaceae 8
Lysimachia arvensis (L.) U.Manns & Anderb. Primulaceae 8
Maerua crassifolia Forssk. Capparaceae 8
Medicago laciniata (L.) Mill. Fabaceae 8
Melilotus indicus (L.) All. Fabaceae 8
Melilotus sulcatus Desf. Fabaceae 8
Melinis repens (Willd.) Zizka Poaceae 8
Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. Aizoaceae 8
Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum L. Aizoaceae 8
Nanorrhinum heterophyllum (Schousb.) Ghebr. Plantaginaceae 8
Nitraria retusa (Forssk.) Asch. Nitrariaceae 8
Oligomeris linifolia (Vahl ex Hornem.) J.F.Macbr. Resedaceae 8
Ononis natrix L. Fabaceae 8
Orobanche mutelii F.W.Schultz Orobanchaceae 8
Osyris alba L. Santalaceae 8
Osyris lanceolata Hochst. & Steud. Santalaceae 8
Panicum turgidum Forssk. Poaceae 8
Paronychia argentea Lam. Caryophyllaceae 8
Patellifolia procumbens (C.Sm. ex Hornem.) A.J.Scott, Ford-Lloyd & J.T.Williams Chenopodiaceae 8
Pergularia tomentosa L. Apocynaceae 8
Periploca angustifolia Labill. Apocynaceae 8
Phalaris minor Retz. Poaceae 8
Phragmites australis (Cav.) Steud. Poaceae 8
Plantago afra L. Plantaginaceae 8
Plantago coronopus L. Plantaginaceae 8
Plantago lagopus L. Plantaginaceae 8
Plantago ovata Forssk. Plantaginaceae 8
Plantago weldenii Rchb. Plantaginaceae 8
Polycarpaea nivea Webb Caryophyllaceae 8
Polygonum equisetiforme Sm. Polygonaceae 8
Polypogon monspeliensis (L.) Desf. Poaceae 8
Polypogon viridis (Gouan) Breistr. Poaceae 8
Reseda lutea L. Resedaceae 8
Reseda villosa Coss. Resedaceae 8
Retama raetam (Forssk.) Webb & Berthel. Fabaceae 8
Rumex vesicarius L. Polygonaceae 8
Saharanthus ifniensis (Caball.) M.B.Crespo & Lledó Plumbaginaceae 8
Salvia aegyptiaca L. Lamiaceae 8
Samolus valerandi L. Primulaceae 8
Schismus barbatus (L.) Thell. Poaceae 8
Scilla latifolia Willd. ex Schult.f. Asparagaceae 8
Scirpoides holoschoenus (L.) Soják Cyperaceae 8
Searsia tripartita (Ucria) Moffett Anacardiaceae 8
Senna italica Mill. Fabaceae 8
Sesamum alatum Thonn. Pedaliaceae 8
Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L. Aizoaceae 8
Setaria verticillata (L.) P.Beauv. Poaceae 8
Sideroxylon spinosum L. Sapotaceae 8
Silene muscipula L. Caryophyllaceae 8
Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. Asteraceae 8
Sisymbrium erysimoides Desf. Brassicaceae 8
Soda oppositifolia (Desf.) Akhani Chenopodiaceae 8
Solanum nigrum L. Solanaceae 8
Solanum villosum Mill. Solanaceae 8
Spergularia media (L.) C.Presl Caryophyllaceae 8
Sporobolus aculeatus (L.) P.M.Peterson Poaceae 8
Stipagrostis ciliata (Desf.) De Winter Poaceae 8
Stipagrostis obtusa (Delile) Nees Poaceae 8
Stipellula capensis (Thunb.) Röser & Hamasha Poaceae 8
Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort. Chenopodiaceae 8
Tamarix gallica L. Tamaricaceae 8
Traganum moquinii Webb ex Moq. Chenopodiaceae 8
Tragus racemosus (L.) All. Poaceae 8
Trichodesma africanum (L.) Sm. Boraginaceae 8
Tripidium ravennae (L.) H.Scholz Poaceae 8
Tussilago farfara L. Asteraceae 8
Vachellia tortilis (Forssk.) Galasso & Banfi Fabaceae 8
Verbena officinalis L. Verbenaceae 8
Verbena supina L. Verbenaceae 8
Vicia benghalensis L. Fabaceae 8
Vicia sativa L. Fabaceae 8
Zilla spinosa (L.) Prantl Brassicaceae 8
Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. Rhamnaceae 8
Zostera noltii Hornem. Zosteraceae 8
Zygophyllum creticum (L.) Christenh. & Byng Zygophyllaceae 8
Zygophyllum fontanesii Webb & Berthel. Zygophyllaceae 8
Zygophyllum gaetulum Emb. & Maire Zygophyllaceae 8
Zygophyllum simplex L. Zygophyllaceae 8
Caroxylon imbricatum (Forssk.) Moq. Chenopodiaceae 7
Echium horridum Batt. Boraginaceae 7
Polycarpaea robbairea (Kuntze) Greuter & Burdet Caryophyllaceae 7
Silene diversifolia Otth Caryophyllaceae 7
Anacyclus homogamos (Maire) Humphries Asteraceae 6
Boscia senegalensis Lam. Capparaceae 6
Convolvulus trabutianus Schweinf. & Muschl. Convolvulaceae 6
Echiochilon chazaliei (H.Boissieu) I.M.Johnst. Boraginaceae 6
Frankenia thymifolia Desf. Frankeniaceae 6
Spergularia flaccida (Madden) I.M.Turner Caryophyllaceae 6
Cleome africana Botsch. Cleomaceae 5
Farsetia occidentalis B.L.Burtt Brassicaceae 5
Greuteria argyrea (Greuter & Burdet) Amirahm. & Kaz.Osaloo Fabaceae 5
Marrubium deserti (de Noé) Coss. Lamiaceae 5
Morettia canescens Boiss. Brassicaceae 5
Ononis tournefortii Coss. Fabaceae 5
Schouwia purpurea (Forssk.) Schweinf. Brassicaceae 5
Zygophyllum arabicum (L.) Christenh. & Byng Zygophyllaceae 5
Zygophyllum zilloides (Humbert) Christenh. & Byng Zygophyllaceae 5
Boerhavia helenae Schult. Nyctaginaceae 4
Bothriochloa insculpta (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) A.Camus Poaceae 4
Catananche arenaria Coss. & Durieu Asteraceae 4
Cebatha pendula (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) Kuntze Menispermaceae 4
Cistanche violacea (Desf.) Hoffmanns. & Link Orobanchaceae 4
Cladanthus eriolepis (Coss. ex Maire) Oberpr. & Vogt Asteraceae 4
Ephedra alata Decne. Ephedraceae 4
Euphorbia retusa Forssk. Euphorbiaceae 4
Farsetia stylosa R.Br. Brassicaceae 4
Globularia arabica Jaub. & Spach Plantaginaceae 4
Mesembryanthemum cryptanthum Hook.f. Aizoaceae 4
Plantago amplexicaulis Cav. Plantaginaceae 4
Plocama reboudiana (Coss. & Durieu) M.Backlund & Thulin Rubiaceae 4
Teucrium aureocandidum Andr. Lamiaceae 4
Teucrium chardonianum Maire & Wilczek Lamiaceae 4
Trichodesma calcaratum Coss. & Batt. Boraginaceae 4
Trigonella anguina Delile Fabaceae 4
Vachellia flava (Forssk.) Kyal. & Boatwr. Fabaceae 4
Zygophyllum bruguieri (DC.) Christenh. & Byng Zygophyllaceae 4
Aeluropus littoralis (Gouan) Parl. Poaceae 3
Cadaba farinosa Forssk. Capparaceae 3
Ephedra ciliata Fisch. & C.A.Mey. Ephedraceae 3
Lupinus tassilicus Maire Fabaceae 3
Neurada procumbens L. Neuradaceae 3
Pancratium trianthum Herb. Amaryllidaceae 3
Pteranthus dichotomus Forssk. Caryophyllaceae 3
Randonia africana Coss. Resedaceae 3
Zygophyllum harpago (Emb. & Maire) Christenh. & Byng Zygophyllaceae 3

What this page does not tell you

Kew records 145 more species as native to Western Sahara that we do not document. They are real, accepted plants. They have no page here because we could not find three photographs of them licensed for commercial use, and this site publishes no species it cannot show you. That gap is the honest measure of what we are missing, and it is why we print both numbers rather than the flattering one.

This is a checklist of what is native, not a guide to what will grow in your garden, and it carries no care advice and no toxicity claim, because we do not have those from a source we can cite.

Sourcesevery claim on this page

  1. Kew, World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP v16). Native distribution by TDWG level-3 botanical country (WSA). Introduced, extinct and doubtful records excluded. CC BY 3.0. Retrieved 2026-06-04.
  2. World Flora Online Plant List. Accepted names, authorities, classification. CC0. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
  3. iNaturalist. Photographs, restricted to CC0 / CC BY / CC BY-SA. Retrieved 2026-06-27.