Toothbrush tree

An evergreen, much-branched shrub or small tree about 2–6 metres tall, with drooping branches, yellowish-white bark and sub-fleshy oval leaves. Its flowers are small and greenish yellow, and its fruit is a small (2.5–5 mm), smooth, globose drupe that turns red or white when ripe.

The toothbrush tree is a facultative halophyte that usually grows in semiarid regions of the Middle East and tolerates highly saline coastal soils. It can adapt to different habitats (dunes, sabkhas and marshes) and withstand frequent tidal inundation near shores.