Manna

The Arabic word man, meaning ‘gift’, is used three times in the Qur’ān. Manna refers to a sweet substance excreted by insects on certain plants. It was first documented by Islamic scholar Al-Birūnī (973–1050) in his Book on the Pharmacopoeia of Medicine.

Haloxylon salicornicum is a flowering desert shrub that grows across the Middle East. It has great environmental importance in arid and semi-arid ecosystems, where it helps to stabilise soils and sand dunes.

Painted from specimens found in Sharjah, UAE, off the main Sharjah-Al Dhaid Road near the Natural History Museum, and also in the Mushrif Park in Dubai.

Completed painting size: 53 x 71cm
Main picture of apricot, pink and white winged fruit x 9, detail of flowers within stem x 15, detail of developing flower with stamens x 25, winged fruit showing fruit x 15, gall developed by insect irritation x 3
Watercolour on paper