Within the UAE, this species has been recorded from Abu Dhabi and Dubai emirates (Jongbloed et al. 2003) and along the gulf coast (MEW 2010). The species has also been recorded from north of Shwayb (<a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00398802"">RBG Edinburgh Herbarium; 325 m, c. 45 km north of Al Ain</a>). This species is restricted to Socotra and the Arabian Peninsula (Gulf States, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen) (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

This species is widespread throughout the UAE except in mountainous areas (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Al Meharibi et al. 2019). Jongbloed et al. (2003) considered the species to occur on offshore islands (Jongbloed et al. 2003), including Abu Dhabi Island (Western 1982, 1983), although the recent map of Al Meharibi et al. (2019) show it to be absent from the islands, as well as from some coastal areas in Abu Dhabi Emirate. The species is also recorded for Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016, Judas 2016), although Feulner comments that it is known from a single site at the waterfall and is likely to be of anthropogenic origin here. Globally, this species occurs widely across Africa, in the Arabian Peninsula and in India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

Jongbloed et al. (2003) considered this species to be widespread through the Hajar Mountains and along the east coast of the UAE, with scattered occurrences along the Arabian Gulf coast (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah), as well as inland. In the Ru'us al-Jibal, the species is occasional (Feulner 2011), and the species occurs on the offshore islands of Abu Dhabi Emirate (Sakkir et al. 2017). The species has been recorded from Jebel Hafeet, but considered to be introduced there associated with increased urbanisation (Sakkir and Brown 2014). MEW (2010) considered the species to be common and widespread in wadis and urban areas, in moist locations. This species is widespread globally, and considered native across large parts of Europe, Asia and northern parts of Africa, whilst introduced to the Americas, Australasia, and South Africa (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). However, the origin of the species is unclear as a result of widespread and historical cultivation, and DEEDI (2019) considers the species native to northwestern Africa (i.e. Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia), Europe, western and central Asia (i.e. Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, western Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), China, and the Indian Sub-continent (i.e. northern India, Nepal and Pakistan), introduced and naturalised elsewhere. GRIN (2019) also exclude the Arabian Peninsula from the native distribution of the species.

Within the UAE, this species is recorded from oases and irrigated agricultural areas in the Hajar Mountain range (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium hold records from near Al Ain city and from the Ru'us al-Jibal whose origin require confirmation. Aspinall et al. (1995) reported the species from Wadi Shih (Khor Fakkan) and Wadi Hayl (Fujairah). Globally, this species native range spans from Cape Verde across tropical Africa and to Madagascar, in addition to encompassing tropical and subtropical America (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The species has a restricted distribution in the UAE, where it is found in the Ru'us al-Jibal Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003) at up to 1,200 m elevation (Feulner 2011), extending into the Hajar Mountains, south to Wadi Wurayah National Park (Wadi Zikt, G.R. Feulner, in litt, MEW 2010), and even to Wadi Fa'y (near Wadi Hatta), including Wadi Shawka (M. Tsaliki pers. comm. 2019), but as isolated records rather than as a continuous distribution. The EOO is less than 1,000 km². The global range of this species is from Spain and Macaronesia, across north and north-east Africa, through to the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The species is widespread in the Hajar Mountains and also occurs on Jebel Hafeet (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The species is absent from Wadi Wurayah National Park according to Feulner (2016), but is sited for the park by Judas (2016). Feulner (2016) found the species in small numbers in the park buffer zone (Wadi Siji). Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium holds records for a small number of sites around Maleha, western Sharjah. Plants of the World Online (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019) cites this species as native to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Oman. It does not list the UAE as a native country of occurrence for this species.

Within the UAE, this species is recorded from the Ru'us al-Jibal and from Jebel Masafi (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is known to occur from low to high elevations within the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). Globally, this species' native range spans from Pakistan to temperate Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The species is widespread in the north-east of the UAE and is also known to occur in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is generally recorded from low elevations (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Globally, this species is native to the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The species is used extensively as a horticultural plant along roads, in wadis and coastal areas, and is likely to have been cultivated historically for medicinal use. The species is not common in the wild in the UAE, and it is hard to differentiate truly 'wild' plants from cultivated and 'escapee' plants. Jongbloed et al. (2003) cite three wild localities in the UAE; Dubai Creek, the Shawka-Munay area, and Kalba. In addition, it is described as occurring in the Hajar Mountains, within rocky areas, in addition to Jebel Hafeet. It is cultivated in many regions of the UAE, especially in western dunes, wadis and coastal areas, and as windbreaks along roadsides (DDCR 2019). The species is native to Africa, the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula, although the UAE is excluded by Plants of the World online (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species has been recorded from Jebel Hafeet (Stuart and Stuart 1998). However, it is generally recorded from scattered locations across the country (Jongbloed et al. 2003). This species is native to Somalia, Oman, Qatar and the UAE (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).