Jongbloed et al. (2003, citing T.A. Cope and F. Karim) reported this species from a few localities at Mafraq and Al Ain (gravel plains below Jebel Hafeet; Al Meharibi et al. 2019). Feulner (in litt., MEW 2010) considered the species to be more widespread, with records from Hulaylah Island (Ras al-Khaimah) and Khor Kalba on the east coast (G. Feulner pers. comm. 2019). It also occurs within the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. The estimated EOO for this species is 18,289 km² and it is considered to occur in fewer than ten threat-based locations. The global distribution of this species is across northern Africa (across the Sahara, and Angola to Namibia) to the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

The species is found along the northern Gulf coast; in plantations, gardens, and by roadsides (MEW 2010). RBG Edinburgh Herbarium holds specimens from; 1. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358081"">Khor Fakkan</a> (Fujairah) in sandy soil, c. 1 km from coast; 2. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358082"">3 km north of Shwayb</a>, in fixed dunes, and 3. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358092"">Kalba date gardens</a>, 1 km west of Kalba, in a shallow archaeological pit in sandy soil within a former agricultural field. Feulner (2011) did not record the species from UAE parts of the Ru'us al-Jibal. The species has a wide native distribution, from much of Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula to Pakistan, and from China (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). It has been very widely introduced throughout the Americas. It is considered introduced and naturalised in Taiwan (Jung and Cheng 2016), and the origin of the species in mainland China perhaps requires confirmation.

Within the UAE, this species was recorded once from Al Ain (Jongbloed et al. 2003). More recently, it has been recorded from Wadi Hiluw (El-Keblawy 2011, El-Keblawy et al. 2016), Wadi Wurayah National Park (Wadi Wurayah dam area; Feulner 2016), and from a locality northeast of Sfai, Fujairah Emirate (D. Aplin pers. comm. 2019). There is also an unconfirmed record from Ras Al Khaimah (Khatt-Adhen Road; M. Tsaliki pers. comm. 2019). Globally, the native range of this species encompasses Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

There is a lack of information on the exact distribution of this species within the UAE, in great part due to taxonomic uncertainty surrounding its distinction from T. apollinea and T. purpurea. According to Ghazanfar (1992), Tephrosia persica should be treated as the same species as Tephrosia apollinea, whilst S. Ghazanfar (pers. comm. 2019) places T. persica as a synonym of T. purpurea. However, Plants of the World Online currently lists T. persica as a recognised species (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). The native range of this species is the Gulf States in the Arabian Peninsula and Iran (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). The species distribution may extend to southwestern Pakistan (Baluchistan), an Oman-Makaran distribution (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2020).

Within the UAE, it occurs along the coast of Abu Dhabi and Dubai emirates (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010). The species occurs throughout Oman from near sea-level to c.200 m (Ghazanfar 2015). The native range of this species encompasses the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species is recorded for the UAE (e.g. Brown and Sakkir 2004). However, although Plants of the World Online shows the UAE as a native country of occurrence for this species, there doesn't appear to be references to Taverniera lappacea within the UAE in the published literature, aside for Brown and Sakkir (2004). Globally, the native range of this species encompasses northeast tropical Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, it has been recorded from Jebel Hafeet and within the Ru'us al-Jibal (Stuart and Stuart 1998, Jongbloed et al. 2003; Feulner 2011, 2016). The species is described as widespread within the Hajar Mountains (Stuart and Stuart 1998, Jongbloed et al. 2003). The species is common in adjacent parts (mountains and coastal wadis) of northern Oman (Ghazanfar 2015). Globally, the native range of this species encompasses coastal Somalia, the southern Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan and India (Board of Trustees RBG Kew 2019, Ghazanfar 2015).

Within the UAE this species is widespread, generally present in coastal areas (Böer and Griggs 1994, Jongbloed et al. 2003, Böer and Saenger 2006, Perry 2008). It used to be common around Abu Dhabi Island, however much of its suitable habitat here was destroyed (Western 1992). Some inland localities remain, such as at Al Ain, in addition to some offshore islands (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Sakkir et al. 2017). This species is native to Europe, Africa and temperate Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species has been recorded from Rafiq Island (Abu Dhabi Emirate) and Ras al Khaimah beach (Böer and Chaudhary 1999), although it has been suggested that these records remain unconfirmed (MEW 2010). This species is listed as an introduced landscape plant by MoCCaE (O. Al Shamsi pers. comm. 2018). The species has a very wide global distribution (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). It is an Eurasian southern-temperate element that has been widely naturalised outside its native range (BSBI/BRC 2017).

Within the UAE, this species is fairly widespread, having been specifically recorded from Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ajman (Karim and Dakheel 2006). This species is native to north-east Africa, through to the Arabian Peninsula and Iran (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).