This species has been recorded from the southern Ru'us al-Jibal at elevations between 500 - 1,800 m (Feulner 2011). It is known from all elevations at Jebel Jais (M. Tsaliki pers. comm. 2019). It is known from several adjacent areas in Oman. Al Meharibi et al. (2019) consider the only record for the UAE to be from Wadi Wurayah, however the species is not cited for WWNP by either Judas (2016) nor Feulner (2016). Globally, its native range is from the eastern Mediterranean to Central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, as well as eastern Africa (Eritrea to Ethiopia) (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

Within the UAE, this species has been recorded once only from the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species extends from western Europe to Macaronesia, the Mediterranean, Ethiopia and Iran (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The species is widespread and locally common within the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011) and also occurs in the Ru'us al-Jibal, where it was locally common (and very common on the slopes at lower elevations in central Wadi Bih; Feulner 2011). Within the Hajar Mountains, records include the ridge of Jebel Qitab in the 'Olive Highlands' (Feulner 2014), and the Wadi Helo protected area, where it was one of the dominant species on south-facing slopes (El-Keblawy et al. 2016). The species also occurs within Wadi Wurayah National Park, where it is one of the characteristic perennial species (Feulner 2016). In addition, the species is present on Jebel Hafeet (Fawzi and Ksiksi 2012). The species is native to the Arabian Peninsula (Oman, Qatar, and the UAE) to Iran and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species has been recorded from the UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003) but without locality, and no other references to the species in the UAE have been found in the literature. The draft Red Data Book for the UAE (MEW 2010) considers the record to be unconfirmed. Globally, the species occurs across northern Africa to the Sinai and the eastern Mediterranean, and south into Saudi Arabia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). Abdel Khalik (2002) gives the distribution as Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Yemen, Israel, Chad and North Africa (Egypt to Morocco), excluding the UAE.

This species is restricted to the Olive Highlands in the UAE. It is generally found at high elevations within this area, including the summit ridge of Jebel Qitab which is c.1,000 m (Feulner 2014, G.R. Feulner in lit. MEW 2010), with an additional locality was recently found in the upper parts of Wadi Sahm (D. Aplin pers. comm. 2019). It is not thought to occur elsewhere in the UAE (Feulner 2014). The estimated EOO for this species is approximately 330 km²and the maximum estimate for AOO of this species is 312 km². Globally, this species is native to Kenya, Socotra and the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Jongbloed et al. (2003) only had a single record of this species for the UAE, from Wadi Hayl (Fujairah). The species has recently been reported from Wadi Ghalilah, Ra's al-Khaimah (Shahid 2017). Outside the UAE, its native range is extended from eastern Egypt to Somalia, through the Arabian Peninsula, to northwest India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

Within the UAE, this species generally occurs at rocky headlands along the Arabian Gulf coast (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It has also been recorded from offshore islands of the UAE (Sakkir et al. 2017). Globally, this species is native to Somalia and Socotra, in addition to the Arabian Peninsula and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

A detailed distribution for this species within the UAE is currently lacking. The draft UAE Red Data Book states that this species is known from an unconfirmed record in the UAE (MEW 2010). G.R. Feulner (pers. comm. 2019) considers the species to be absent from the UAE, however S. Ghazanfar (pers. comm. 2019) reported that a specimen collected in the UAE is held at RBG Kew. The native range of this species is the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). Plants of the World Online gives the range as the Gulf States (Qatar, UAE and Oman), however, Akhani et al. (2013) give the distribution as from Afghanistan, western Pakistan and southeastern Iran (Sistan-o Baluchestan Province).

Within the UAE, it has been recorded at coastal sites including Ras al-Khaimah (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The estimated EOO is 493 km² and this species is considered to occur at three locations. The native range of this species is the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species has been known to occur around Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, in addition to the north of the UAE (Karim and Dakheel 2006). It has also been documented on the off-shore islands of Abu Dhabi (Sakkir et al. 2017), such as Malawah (S. Sakkir pers. comm. 2019), and to the east of the country in Ras Ghumais. However, ongoing coastal development along both the Arabian Gulf coast and the east coast is likely to have reduced the extent of this species' distribution within the UAE. For example, the subpopulation at Taweela has been extirpated as this locality has been lost. The estimated EOO for this species is 14,809 km² and there are estimated to be 6-10 locations. Globally, the native range of this species encompasses Egypt to northeast tropical Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).