Flora of Israel: Desert Baby’s Breath

Gypsophila capillaris, Gypsophila arabica, Desert Baby’s Breath,
Hebrew: גבסנית ערבית, Arabic: سليح –خمسات-عشب الذهبي- رقيجة.

Scientific name:   Gypsophila capillaris (Forssk.) C.Chr.
Synonym name:   Gypsophila arabica Barkoudah
Common name:   Desert Baby’s Breath
Hebrew name:   גבסנית ערבית, גפסנית ערבית
Arabic name:   سليح –خمسات-عشب الذهبي- رقيجة.
Family:   Caryophyllaceae, carnation family, ציפורניים


Life form:   Chamaephyte
Stems:   Up to 10-80 cm, woody base, erect stems
Leaves:   Opposite, simple linear to lanceolate below, linear above, smooth margin
Inflorescence:   Lax panicles
Flowers:   Pedicels capillary, up to 33mm; calyx campanulate-obconical, 2-3mm; White petals with lilac to purple veins, oblong-elliptical, c. 2x as long as the calyx
Fruits / pods:   Capsule, globose; usually 2 or more seeds, smooth to tuberculate
Flowering Period:   April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Habitat:   Desert, Shrub-steppes
Distribution:   Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Deserts and extreme deserts
Chorotype:   Irano-Turanian
Summer shedding:   Perennating


Derivation of the botanical name:

Gypsophila, Greek γυψοϛ gypsos, gypsum; philos, a friend; a reference to the gypsum-rich substrates on which some species grow.

capillaris, capillus, hair; hair like.
arabica, of Arabia.
The Hebrew name: גבסנית, gybsanit, Gypsophila, formed from gypsum; from גפסים (= mortar, plaster, gypsum), which, together with Arabic jibs probably derives from Akkadian gassu; Greek: gypsos ( = chalk), is of Semitic origin.

  • The standard author abbreviation Forssk. is used to indicate Peter Forsskål (1732 – 1763), a Swedish explorer, orientalist, naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus.
  • The standard author abbreviation C.Chr. is used to indicate Carl Frederik Albert Christensen (1872 – 1942), Danish systematic botanist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Barkoudah is used to indicate Youssef Ibrahim Barkoudah (1933 -), born in Dayr-Atiyah, Syria, botanist, plant collector, specialty author Spermatophytes.