Doha: The 17th edition of ‘A Flower Each Spring’ programme starts today in Al Khor and will introduce another Qatari natural plant, Thanoun, ‘the Cistanche phelypaea’.
Dr Saif Ali Al Hajari, Chairman, Friends of the Environment Centre (FEC) and Head of ‘the programme, praised support extended by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser to the program which was launched in 1999. It aims to introduce Qatar’s flora in their natural habitats to the local community to promote protection and growth.
Dr Al Hajari said activities, including field visits and festivals, will be organised. This year, new activities related to water and electricity conservation will be added to promote rational consumption. He said about 300 people and several schools will attend the inauguration ceremony and the programme will continue until May. Cistanche is a genus of holoparasitic desert plants in the family of Orobanchaceae. The genus Cistanche includes 16 species. They form an attractive group of phanerogamic root parasites. QNA
