The Flora of The State of Qatar: Its History and Present-Day Status

Abstract

The history of botanical exploration in the State of Qatar is of recent origin. Various collections culminated in 2 major Floras for the State of Qatar in 1981 and 1983. Since then, further collections and focus on several aspects of the ecology of the State of Qatar had shown gaps that need to be covered. At present there is an ongoing activity, some resulting in the elimination of some natural habitats. This, besides activities in agricultural and horticultural practices, has introduced a number of alien species and invasive taxa to the flora of the State of Qatar. Before updating the Flora, it is of vital importance to commence by preparing an up-to-date checklist of the present Flora and to incorporate the synonymy. The present study focuses on the history and present status of the flora of the State of Qatar.