In the UAE, this species is rare but widespread in the Hajar Mountains and the Ru'us al-Jibal. Records include wadis (Wadi Daynah and Wadi Mansab) in the mountains south of Shawka (Feulner et al. 2016), Wadi Wurayah (unspecified localities; Feulner 2016), and Wadi Naqab in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium holds numerous specimens from Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah, including from the Siji dam. The global range of this species is across North Africa and the Sahara, through the Arabian Peninsula to north-west India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species is widespread in the northern Hajar Mountains and in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011), including Wadi Wurayah National Park where it occurs in the montane zone at higher elevations (Blue Water Wadi, a tributary of Wadi Ghayl, and an historical record from upper Wadi Siji; Feulner 2016), and also occurs on Jebel Hafeet (Wadi Tarabat protected area; Fawzi and Ksiksi 2012). Mahmoud et al. (2018) recorded the species from dams and water breakers along the western flank of the Hajar Mountains, without specific localities. The global range of this species is across much of northern and eastern Africa, much of southern and Central Europe north to the British Isles, through the Arabian Peninsula, and to Central and South Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Jongbloed et al. (2003) presented a single record of this species, however that record is from Oman (Wilayat Mahdhah; Feulner 2014). Feulner (2014) recorded this species for the UAE from the Yas branch of Wadi Mowrid (Fujairah), northwest of Masafi, where it was found along a donkey track. Pagad et al. (2017) considered this species to be introduced to the UAE through agriculture, and it is listed as an introduced landscape plants by MoCCaE (O. Al Shamsi pers. comm. 2018), however the UAE native plant working group (May 2019) considered the species to be native. The native range of this species is from south-east Europe to Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and in Africa from the north through the Sahara (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018). Regionally, the only other records are from Saudi Arabia (Foley 2004). The species has been very widely introduced as a weed of agricultural crops.

Within the UAE, this species occurs along the Gulf coast of the country, in addition to inland sabkha plains (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010). It has also been recorded from off-shore islands of Abu Dhabi (Sakkir et al. 2017). The global distribution is uncertain because of taxonomic issues, but is thought to extend around the Mediterranean basin, to the Arabian Peninsula.

This species has been recorded from the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011), usually close to agriculture but also spreading up hillsides (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2019). However, the species is easily overlooked. Globally, this species' native range extends from Macaronesia and western Europe to the Mediterranean and Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE this species is known from scattered localities in the Hajar Mountains, the Ru'us al-Jibal, and from the Ain Ain area (<a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00648772"">RBGE coll. J.R. Edmonson, 1980</a>; Jongbloed et al. 2003). Localities include Jebel Hafeet (<a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00648768"">RBGE coll. R. Western, 1982</a>, <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00648767"">RBGE coll. J.N.B Brown, 1983</a>) (including Wadi Tarabat; Fawzi and Ksiksi 2012). In the Ru'us al-Jibal, the species is found at scattered localities from 250 to 1,550 m asl in the central and southern parts of the mountains (Feulner 2011). The native native range of this species is from the eastern Mediterranean, through the Arabian Peninsula, to Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, it is known to occur throughout the high elevation Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003), such as at Jebel Jais (high elevation plateau; M. Tsaliki pers. comm. 2019), where it has been recorded at altitudes up to 1,200 m in this area (Feulner 2011). There are considered to have been only a few observations of this species within the wild in the UAE (G.R. Feulner, in litt, MEW 2010). Globally, the native range of this species extends from southern and central Europe, through to the Mediterranean, the Arabian Peninsula and to Afghanistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species is found in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003), where it is recorded at altitudes between c.500 m to 1,800 m (Feulner 2011, M. Tsaliki pers. comm. 2019). Globally, the native range of this species spans from Turkey to the Arabian Peninsula and Afghanistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, it has been recorded from Wadi Bih in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Böer and Chaudhary 1999). Mandaville recorded the species from two heavily anthropogenic sites nearby in Oman; all records are low elevation sites. The native range of this species spans from Jordan to southwest Iran (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, Jongbloed et al. (2003) considered this species to be restricted to scattered localities in the eastern parts, along parts of the western foothills of the Hajar Mountains, from Jebel Hafeet (Western 1982), and from a locality south of Sharjah. Karim and Dakheel (2006) included records for Al Ain, Shwayb, Hatta and Dhaid. The native range of this species is from the Canary Islands (Fuertaventura), across North Africa and the Sahara, to southern Iran (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).