Calligonum spp., tolerant shrubs against harsh desert conditions

The genus Calligonum L. belongs to the family Polygonaceae and has valuable tree species and desert shrubs. Up to now, 33 species of this genus have been reported, and 23 are from Iran. More than ten species of this genus are native and exclusive to Iran. The geographical distribution pattern of species of this genus in Iran shows that it is mainly distributed in the central and southern regions of the country, Semnan province with nine species, Hormozgan and Baluchistan with eight species each, Khorasan province with seven species, Isfahan and Kerman with six species each, have the highest number of species, respectively. Due to the natural ability of Calligonum L. species to adapt to harsh environmental conditions such as heat and high desert drought and especially the area of dunes, these plant elements can be used in projects to rehabilitate and strengthen the vegetation of desert sands. In addition, eight species of C. bungei, C. denticulatum, C. intertextum, C. laristanicum, C. leucocladum, C. spinosetosum, C. alatosetosum, and C. stenopterum are present in a low number of habitats and due to human interventions and dominance of droughts (especially the last decade) these species are endangered.