Within the UAE, this species occurs along the coast line and has been specifically recorded from Abu Dhabi (Qureshi 2017). It is also known to occur on offshore islands within the UAE (S. Sakkir pers. comm. 2019). Globally, the native range of this species spans from northern Africa to Greece, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia and through to southwest Siberia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE it is thought to be restricted to the Ru'us al-Jibal area (Feulner 2011). It is known to occur between elevations of c. 500 m and 1450 m (Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species across Sinai, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, it occurs along both the Arabian Gulf coast and the East coast, in addition to within oases in the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It has been recorded from the R'as al-Khaimah, Sila and Jebel al-Dhana (Karim and Dakheel 2006). Globally, this species' native range encompasses Macaronesia and northern Africa to northwest India and Russia, in addition to southern Africa (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, it is widespread throughout the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It has been recorded at low elevations in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). Globally, this species is native to northern Africa, Europe, in addition to from the Arabian Peninsula through to Nepal (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species has been recorded from a small number of localities. A.R. Western collected the species from Kalba oasis in 1985 from c.3 km inland (Jongbloed et al. 2003, <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358122"">UAE Herbarium specimen</a>), however, the Kalba area was searched for this species over the period 2007-2009 without success according to Shahid and Rao (2017). G.R. Feulner (pers. comm. 2019) has found the species c.10 km north of Kalba. Shahid and Rao (2017) found a new locality for this species 200 m from the Gulf coast near Oud Al Owaid in Umm al-Quwain Emirate (although Shahid and Rao (2017) refer to the site being in Ra's Al Khaimah Emirate), however when this site was revisited in 2013, it was found to have been cleared for development, and the species was not refound (Shahid and Rao 2017). Al Meharibi et al. (2019) consider the species to be restricted to Kalba. G.R. Feulner (in litt, MEW 2010) reported the species from a tributary of Wadi Shawka (Ra's Al Khaimah) and G.R. Feulner (pers. comm. 2019) reported that the species has been found at other peri-anthropic and wild localities. The Sharjah Seedbank and Herbarium hold a herbarium specimen from Sharjah city (Al Wahda Street, Sharjah), however, this locality is heavily urbanised, and whilst the locality is within an unpaved car parking area, the persistence of the species at this site requires confirmation. The global distribution of this species is across Africa from the Sahara to Somalia and south to Tanzania, the eastern Mediterranean and through the Arabian Peninsula to Southeast Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). The distribution shown by Fowler (2002) omits parts of the Arabian Peninsula, including Oman, Qatar and the UAE. GRIN (2019) cite only Saudi Arabia for the Arabian Peninsula. G.R. Feulner (in litt, MEW 2010) reported the species from a wadi at the base of Jebel Ghawil in Oman, and in the Arabian Peninsula, while A. Patzelt and S.G. Knees (unpublished Arabian Peninsula Red List assessment) gave the regional distribution as occurring in Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, including Socotra (Miller and Morris 2004, Cope 2007).

This species was considered introduced to the UAE (Pagad et al. 2017, citing CABI). However, subsequent expert opinion (UAE Native Plant Working Group, 2019) considered that the species may be native to the country. Along the Arabian Gulf coast, the species is primarily found in urban areas, including Abu Dhabi Island; it also occurs along the east coast and the Hajar Mountains and around Al Ain (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The native range of this species is the temperate and subtropical Old World (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018), who include the UAE in its native distribution, however, it has been widely introduced globally (CABI 2018).

The species is apparently known from Mushrif National Park (now a suburban park, but originally a traditional oasis where remnant native flora were found) in Dubai (coll. K. Müller-Hohenstein, 1986; <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00450010"">RBGE Herbarium</a>). The species is also known from a locality near the Emirates Road in Sharjah (Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium record). The origin and distribution of the species within the UAE requires confirmation. The global range of this species is circum-Mediterranean, through much of the Arabian Peninsula, east to India and north to Central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, it is known to be widespread throughout the Hajar Mountains and in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is known to occur at elevations up to 1,635 m in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species spans across Europe and northern Africa to Ethiopia, Socotra and western Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species has a scattered distribution in the eastern Emirates of the UAE, with records from the Arabian Gulf coast, from the east coast, Al Ain (Jongbloed et al. 2003) and from Jebel Hafeet (Abu Dhabi Emirate; Sakkir and Brown 2014). The origin of the species is uncertain, and the opinion of the UAE native plant working group (June 2019) was divided. The species occurs in the Olive Highlands as a result of human transport (Feulner 2014) and in two peri-anthropic localities in Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016). It occurs in the Ru'us al Jibal to at least 1,550 m elevation (Feulner 2011). The species is very widespread globally, however the native distribution is uncertain and it has been very widely introduced and naturalised. GRIN (2019) considered it to be native to parts of Europe, Africa, Asia-Temperate and Asia-Tropical, but naturalised in the Arabian Peninsula (and not recorded for the UAE). In contrast, Plants of the World Online (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019) considers it native to western Europe, northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and introduced elsewhere.

This species appears to have a scattered distribution in the UAE. Jongbloed et al. (2003) show records in the west (Sabkhat Matti), at Jebel Hafeet, and in the northwest, in the Musandam Peninsula. It has also been found in Taweelah, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ra's al-Khaimah and the Sweihan-Al Hayer area, and is possibly distributed along the entire near-coastal region west of Abu Dhabi Island (Brown et al. 2007). More recent surveys confirm that the species is abundant in deserts in the northern Gulf (G. Brown pers. comm. 2019). Globally, this species occurs in southern Africa, across much of northern Africa, Spain, France, the Middle East and various parts of Central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018). It has been widely introduced to the Americas, parts of western Europe, and to Australia.